OREANDA-NEWS. April 15, 2010. The recent events in Bishkek are an anticonstitutional coup, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko told media during his working visit to the Gomel Oblast.

“I believe that the policy of Americans and Russians regarding these events is very bad and short-sighted. They should have stated that such actions of the Kyrgyz opposition were unacceptable,” said the head of state.

“God forbid, something like that should happen in Belarus. I don’t wish something like that to happen to other countries either,” said Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarus President believes that drawing parallels between the recent events in Kyrgyzstan and “the tulip revolution” is inappropriate. “First, nobody shot people back then. Second, Askar Akayev quit his office then. The present president has not quit his office. God forbid the Kyrgyz opposition would imprison or worse shoot Bakiyev. It will backfire,” remarked Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarus President said he does not have precise information about who is behind the events. He suggested imagining such a situation in Belarus. “Imagine that a Belarusian opposition activist, who has grabbed power, has been overturned. What would happen then? Everyone would be shouting, moaning and lamenting. Today everyone is silent: the USA is and you know the statements Russia has made. For some reason nobody has said that it is an anticonstitutional coup”.

“I would not want to offend those in power in Kyrgyzstan now. But I would like to tell those who blame Bakiyev for supporting clanism and for breaking down the country… Didn’t we see it before? I am absolutely clean in this regard. A year ago I talked to Bakiyev (we were on good terms). I told him plainly: watch out, Kurmanbek, you can step on the same rake”.

According to Alexander Lukashenko, in Kyrgyzstan it is impossible to have a posh life. “It is a poor country. Blaming Bakiyev for pilfering the country is laughable. He traveled many countries asking for loans. I know where he invested the money. He was building a hydropower plant. Russia promised a loan and then went back on its word. And he told me: I am forced to leave the Manas base because they pay money for rent,” added the head of state.

The Belarus President also said: “If something like that happened in my country and if someone put people into the line of fire, they wouldn’t know what hit them. Don’t reproach Bakiyev for using force. If the authorities cannot protect themselves and their people, they are no good.”

According to Alexander Lukashenko, the people in power in Kyrgyzstan now “will have to think hard how to legitimize themselves”.