Poland Warns Belarusian President About Ouster Risk
Radek Sikorski (acus.org)
Polish Foreign Minister has warned on Wednesday Belarusian autocratic authorities that if they don’t change their policies soon they risk to be overthrown by the people after the pattern set by Tunisia and Egypt.
Radek Sikorski said to the neighboring authorities that they were loosing and that sooner or later they would have to flee the country. “Soon a jet plane will have to be kept in stand by in Minsk,” the minister said.
Sikorski made these allegations at a donor’s conference in Warsaw, where money are being raised for the Belarusian opposition which is being censored and often imprisoned by the autocratic Alexander Lukashenko.
Alexander Lukashenko (stavraki.gr)
Pledges of $120 million were brought by this conference for the opposition in the 10-million Eastern European nation that had been ruled for the last 16 years by the regime of Lukashenko in a Soviet-like fashion.
European Union was convinced to quadruple its previous aid to the families of Belarusian people who are submitted to repression: expelled students, media outlets, opposition organizations.
The U.S. government pledged to increase its contribution by 30 percent, to $15 million. Also, the United States State Department said it would expand the list of Belarusian officials placed under travel restrictions.
“The people of Belarus have a right to a responsible government,” the foreign minister said.
The presidential elections in December 2010 in Belarus were followed by sustained protests and accusations that they had been rigged.
The regime cracked down on protesters and many people who oppose the regime were incarcerated.
Last week, Likashenko accused Poland of involvement in the domestic businesses of Belarus to the purpose of recarving the common border some 200 km closer to the capital of the country Minsk.11
