Belarusian President fires Cabinet amid fast sinking economy
Minsk ( Belarus), Aug. 19: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has fired his Cabinet, emphasising the need to strengthen the economy to preserve the nation’s post- Soviet independence.
Lukashenko said he fired Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov’s Cabinet for failing to execute his orders and for paying too little attention to the country’s social needs. He appointed banker Sergei Rumas to succeed Kobyakov.
Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for 24 years, maintaining rigid Soviet- style controls over the economy and showing little tolerance for dissent or independent media.
He said Saturday that Belarus won’t turn into a “vassal” of its giant neighbor, Russia, even though he underlined the importance of close ties with Moscow.
Belarus has long depended on cheap energy and other subsidies from Russia, which is facing its own economic woes and warned that it would scale down assistance to its ally.
Lukashenko criticized Russia for failing to honor its agreements with Belarus.
“We will never become a vassal to anyone,” he said, warning against any attempts to encroach on Belarus’ independence.
“We will remain independent for as long as our economy develops as needed,” the Belarusian leader said, adding that “we won’t be able to maintain our independence if we ruin the economy.”
Observers noted that the Belarusian leader was facing pressure to reform the economy as Russia’s assistance dries up.
“It doesn’t mean that the country is going to have fullfledged free- market reforms, but some movement is possible,” independent Minskbased analyst Alexander Klaskovsky said. “Lukashenko hasn’t turned into a reformer, but he realizes that Moscow is turning off the taps and he needs to raise money himself and turn to the West.”