MINSK, April 9. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned the developers of amendments to the law on political parties of responsibility, noting that the slightest mistake may lead to the collapse of the country.
"I would like to simply warn you, developers and others: if we make even the slightest mistake when forming political parties, pointing towards some alleged foreign experience, we will destroy the country, dismantle it," Lukashenko said during a meeting on political parties Friday.
Meanwhile, the President would like to avoid the emergence of numerous minor parties, each of them fighting for their own interests.
"We think: meh, a party, let’s register and let it be. No, it won’t be! There will be a clash of interests all the time," Lukashenko said. "It was okay when, in August and other months [after presidential elections] those were marching in Minsk, mainly, but that was a single bunch of, pardon me, protesteurs, opposed by another force, led by the authority. And what if many different [political forces] will take to the streets and march every day?"
On the other hand, if a portion of society has a demand for political parties, it must not be ignored.
"Parties within the legal framework, with different opinions, pro-authority, opposition and others - this is a normal process. But we must develop the most serious law on parties so that we do not roll bounce around later and regret that we went down the wrong path," he said.
Lukashenko claimed that political pluralism destroyed the Soviet Union back in the day, adding that it is necessary to unite around one man during trying times, and that Belarus is not ready for active party building at this moment.
"I will voice my opinion: we are not ready for that," Lukashenko said. "When [the situation] in the country is difficult, and there will be even more difficulties, and not because someone would impose some sanctions upon us, but because the world has changed, gone mad - in this situation, smart people unite around one man, or a group of people. Instead, we will get started with pluralism."
"Do you remember how we laughed during [USSR President Mikhail] Gorbachev times: ‘ploo-ralism.’ Whom did we spit on? On ourselves," Lukashenko remarked.