Aliaksandr Klaskouski: There will be no sensations at Lukashenka’s press conference

For instance, Russia can be named a “fraternal country” and “an empire” in one and the same speech, and the West can be described as an object to build bridges with and as a monster that wants to overthrow Belarusan authorities. This opinion was shared to the EuroBelarus Information Service by the journalist, political analyst Aliaksandr Klaskouski.

He noted that Lukashenka’s press conferences do not represent some clever PR-trick, as no one talks about innovation; these events have already become traditional.

Let us recall that today Aliaksandr Lukashenka is giving a press-conference for Belarusan and foreign journalists.

Last huge press-conference that took place in December of 2011 was noted for a number of outrageous ad-libs. For instance, for the sharp dialog between the journalist of “Narodnaja Volia” (“The People’s Will”) paper Maryna Koktysh and the official Belarusan leader. Maryna Koktysh asked the President whether it would be easier for him to sleep at night in case he pardons the political imprisoners, ex-candidates for the Presidency as well. Aliaksandr Lukashenka tried to laugh it off: “In order to know how I sleep, you need to sleep with me”.

Aliaksandr Klaskouski named this press-conference a scheduled PR-event and recalled that meetings with the Russian journalists reoccur in the same vein.

The scenario is well-known; that is why political expert expects long talk: “It is going to be demonstrated that the president is allegedly not afraid of thorny questions”. The number of guests also says a lot – there are about 350 journalists, from non-governmental media as well. And as far as Klaskouski knows, the questions are really asked offhand, i.e. no one endorses and picks them out beforehand.

- Another thing is that the answers of the national leader are usually standard, - says the political expert. – One could make up a list of Lukashenka’s typical answers on these or that questions. Starting from his denial of being a dictator. Saying that there are no resources for dictatorship in Belarus. This phrase doesn’t suit at all, it sounds out of place, and he repeats it anyway. It may well be so that we will hear it at this press conference as well. Or contradicting points about Russia, when on the one hand, “Belarusans and Russians are fraternal nations” and on the other hand, talks about Russia’s desire to buy our country for peanuts, saying that we will not give over our blue-eyed country to the Russian capital and so on.

On a large scale, there will be no principal program sensations, assumes Klaskouski. Perhaps, the topic of modernization will be overaccentuated as for now it is Lukashenka’s favorite subject for discussion. “In reality we see that he has a specific understanding of it. And the Decree No.9, which have already been referred to as slavery, illustrates the methods with the help of which he wants to carry out this modernization”, - believes the expert.

There can appear impromptus at the press-conference, when Belarusan leader starts to speak not according to the paper but according to his taste. Some interesting moments which are later discussed in non-governmental media happen there. But these are sooner sayings of the anecdotic character than the policy statements. Or, for instance, in the interview with the British journalists Lukashenka referred to the Putin’s illness. Perhaps, Kremlin didn’t like it very much. Or there was a case of the President voicing the quantitative composition of the KGB when talking about the staff reduction during one of the public statement. “It is these unforeseen moments and news leaks that draw the biggest response. Aside from that, one can hardly expect some surprises”, - summed up Aliaksandr Klaskouski.