Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko urges police to act swiftly protecting people’s rights

MINSK, 30 April (BelTA) – The police should ensure protection of the interests of the Belarusian citizens, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he appointed new police chiefs in Minsk Oblast, Brest Oblast and Grodno Oblast on 30 April, BelTA has learned.

“The positions you have been appointed are very important. You will be in charge of three quarters of the country during this difficult situation both inside the country (everything seems calm for the time being, but we cannot let our guard down) and outside. You see what is going on,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

State Secretary of the Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich and Interior Affairs Minister Ivan Kubrakov described the new police chiefs as true professionals who have proven their worth in previous posts.

“This is the first time you are taking up such high positions. It is one thing to be a deputy. To be in charge during these challenging times is quite another story. I once said that generals cannot afford to be soft. If you can make decisions in a soft manner, it is fine. However, these decisions should be implemented unquestionably. You are the people in uniform Given the current situation we need to act swiftly  to defend the interests of our people. We are not defending ourselves. Protecting millions of people (we are a transit country) is not a child’s play,” the president said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko urged to draw conclusions from the events taking place in the country. According to him, the criminal police have had other problems to deal with in some regions. “For example, one governor let it slip and I began to dig deeper: it turns out that cattle is stolen in some farms and attributed to natural loss. Now you and the prosecutor’s office should look into this. We need to study this topic across the country," the head of state said.

"We must not forget about the mistakes and shortcomings that we had allowed. If we we forget them, they will happen again. Therefore, we need to be vigilant," he added.

The president also called on the new police chiefs to keep in touch with people and treat them with respect, and warned against corruption. "It is impossible to hide anything. You understand this better than anyone," Aleksandr Lukashenko warned.

As it has been reported, Aleksandr Astreiko has been appointed Head of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee. Previously, he served as head of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Brest Oblast Executive Committee.

Oleg Shulyakovsky has been named Head of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Brest Oblast Executive Committee. He held the post of first deputy head of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Gomel Oblast Executive Committee – head of the criminal police.

Dmitry Rezenkov has been appointed Head of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee. Until now, he was the first deputy head of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee - head of the criminal police.

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