“Madame Tussaud would have died of envy”
The Belarusian ruler reappears a week later. But speculations about his ill health continued. And there is even mockery.
Official photo of the Office of the President: Alexander Lukashenko at the military command center in Minsk.
Photo: Keystone
Potato news is one of the most important news in Belarus because it is an agricultural country. As of Monday evening, potatoes in Belarus have already been planted in 82 percent of all planned areas, state agency Belda reported. The report and the photo were second, the highest, and only one thing was more important: the first sign of life from Alexander Lukashenko after a week.
You can see a uniformed ruler on his way to a military base with a bandage on his left hand. Lukashenko was briefed on his readiness for battle, and there was no line in the state media report that foreshadowed the big debate that has occupied people for a week: Is Alexander Lukashenko ill?
Posted on May 9 Victory Celebrations in Moscow
The 68-year-old dictator was last seen on May 9 at a victory celebration in Moscow’s Red Square, where he was hit in the stands. Unlike other heads of state, he did not visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Kremlin wall, about 300 meters away. Let Lukashenko direct himself. On Sunday in Minsk, he was unable to deliver a speech on Pledge of Allegiance Day for the first time in nearly 30 years. The head of government should represent him. There were rumors of a hospital stay.
Contrary to the peace in Minsk, Alexander Lukashenko is not doing well, Russian parliamentarian Konstantin Zatulin confirmed on Sunday. He tried to reassure: “People are simply sick.” The first photo of the ruler, published by Belarusian media on Monday evening, was intended to deny all speculation, but instead fueled it early on.
“There are health issues that are chronic and can get worse.”
Lukashenko’s face was masked and waxen, and Belarusian political analyst Artjom Shrajbman wrote jokingly: “Madame Tussaud would have died of envy if she had seen the photo.”
It was later changed to a more natural look, and a video of Lukashenko talking to commanders was released. According to Belarusian exile broadcaster Belsad, “one used by former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in his last years”, the photograph, the facial expression, the bandaged hand, the tall thermos mug standing next to him are all dissected and explained. .
Almost 30 years in power: Alexander Lukashenko visits a military base in Belarus.
Photo: AFP
Lukashenko has had an authoritarian regime in Belarus since 1994, and healthcare and secrecy play a much bigger role there than in democracies. Writing for Belchat, political writer Vitaly Tsygankov wrote: “When the health of the man who runs the state is a secret, it is indicative of a totalitarian system.” The fact that Lukashenko was seen again does not change much. “There are health issues that are chronic and can get worse.”
Zhigankov recalled 2015, when the whole country was talking about Lukashenko’s heart attack. Opposition politician Pavel Latushko has now said that Lukashenko may have suffered from a heart attack.
“We must be ready for any possible development in Belarus.”
The Belarusian opposition is watching closely how Lukashenko fares. She lurks that the Lukashenko era is coming to an end and a window of change may be opening. Svetlana Dichanovskaya, who won the presidential election against Lukashenko in August 2020 without manipulations by the regime, said about the rumors about her health: “For us, we have to be ready for any possible development in Belarus,” she explained. An exiled opposition activist. “Our goal is to develop Belarus democratically and prevent Russian interference.”
Victor Paparico likes this. Before his arrest, he was considered Lukashenko’s most important challenger. He has been in jail for three years. But where is he? Relatives and lawyers have been searching for the Lukashenko critic for 19 days. He was taken to a clinic at the end of April, independent agency Zerkalo reported. Since then, his condition and whereabouts are unknown. With the return of Alexander Lukashenko, the next mystery is the whereabouts of Viktor Babaryko.
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