Lukashenko comments on his goal of being in power

“I would like to tell you frankly to avoid any kind of understatement. They often say ‘he will not give up'. They are right. The people elected me and they do not expect me to give up. The same is true about you. You also have the power. The power is not given to be thrown or given away. In the mid-1990s, it was lying in the mud, was flouted. The same was true about you, people in uniform. Many of you remember that period. I do not want Belarus to go back to that time. No one will be allowed to throw the power into the mud,” the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko added: “I will do it together with you or without you - it is up to you. No one will bring me to my knees. If you want to stand next to me and save the country, then do it. If you do not want to, do not betray. You are people in uniform. Do not create hype. Get out of the way and do not interfere.”

The head of state reminded those present that he had mentioned this before the election, because he had a feeling that ‘they would try to bring that mess about'.

“Secondly, if you think that I am clinging to power with blue fingers for my sake, you will disappoint me very much. I have already said to Russians, who do not know everything about our country, that sooner or later this power will be taken by others, but it will be taken by law, not under the pressure of the street. You are well-educated people. Please think. I do not call you to save the state in violation of the law,” the president said.

“When there is an almost blatant intervention, as I call it, from the outside and it is heated up from the inside and guided from the outside, sometimes they do not stick to the law, it is necessary to take strict measures to stop all the rubbish that claims the power. In this very case the situation is not like that,” the Belarusian leader said.

“I would like to reiterate: I do not call you to violate the law. We have legislation and laws to save the country from this invasion, so that it does not repeat the situation with Ukraine, Libya, Syria and so on, and stabilize the country. Act according to the law and remember that you are the same citizens as the president of the country. Both you and I have children. You are the ones to live in this country and in a new Belarus,” the head of state concluded.