Suzdaltsau: Lukashenka decided to support Medvedev's rivals
In the opinion of the Russian political scientist, Belarusian leader parlayed on the communists and Putin at the election 2012.
Sharp criticism of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev appeared in the Belarusian media once again. The reason for this was his failure to send his congratulations to the festival "Slavic Bazaar". It was stated that the festival was "involved into politics" for the first time ever. Criticism of Russian President - is it a conscious political move? Euroradio has asked this question to the Russian political scientist Andrej Suzdaltsau.
Suzdaltsau: “This is a conscious policy. We can see there has been an increase starting from the TV-program "In Focus", where the Russian President was sharply criticized for the first time on June 26. An anti-Medvedev campaign is going on in the Belarusian media. This is a coordinated action. Firstly, Lukashenka joined the Russian electoral campaign-2012, naturally, on the side of Medvedev's rivals. Secondly, this is continuation of the informational campaign on "switching of points". They say that Russian oligarchs in union with Russian media are the ones to put blame on for the Belarusian crisis. Thirdly, Lukashenka needs a conflict with Moscow, better the one of a propagandistic character, in order to try and fetch a credit from the IMF. The reasons are being looked for and created. True, Medvedev did not greet Luksahenka with the opening of the festival, while there was a cinema festival in Moscow, and Lukashenka also failed to greet Medvedev on this”.
Euroradio: After dispersal of the silent actions there was a statement of the Russian MFA that Belarus should respect human rights. Can we say that Russia will put some pressure on Belarus in the sphere of human rights or was it just a statement?
Suzdaltsau: “There is pressure in the framework of diplomacy, in the same proportions that in the framework of the Western diplomacy - exchange of notes and statements. However, MFA's statements about human rights violations are a serious thing. They create some critical mass and require certain political actions”.
photo — AFP
