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Belarus president fires prime minister after corruption scandal | Belarus president fires prime minister after corruption scandal |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Belarus’s strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko has sacked his prime minister and other key members of government following a corruption scandal that saw top officials arrested. | Belarus’s strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko has sacked his prime minister and other key members of government following a corruption scandal that saw top officials arrested. |
Andrei Kobyakov will be replaced as prime minister by former development bank head Sergei Rumas. Several vice-premiers as well as the ministers for economy and industry have also lost their posts. | Andrei Kobyakov will be replaced as prime minister by former development bank head Sergei Rumas. Several vice-premiers as well as the ministers for economy and industry have also lost their posts. |
“I won’t name names, but in our government we had the following situation – one programme would be announced and then another programme would be carried out,” Lukashenko said in comments released by his press office. | “I won’t name names, but in our government we had the following situation – one programme would be announced and then another programme would be carried out,” Lukashenko said in comments released by his press office. |
“I’ve never allowed this and I never will. What we have promised the people – with a government formed precisely with this programme in mind – we must follow this programme,” he added. | “I’ve never allowed this and I never will. What we have promised the people – with a government formed precisely with this programme in mind – we must follow this programme,” he added. |
Over the summer a corruption scandal rocked the health service of the ex-Soviet nation. | Over the summer a corruption scandal rocked the health service of the ex-Soviet nation. |
Authorities arrested dozens of top health officials, medics and drug company representatives on suspicion of siphoning off millions of dollars in state funding. | Authorities arrested dozens of top health officials, medics and drug company representatives on suspicion of siphoning off millions of dollars in state funding. |
Even the head of the security services in the country dubbed “Europe’s last dictatorship” called for an overhaul of the system in the wake of the arrests. | Even the head of the security services in the country dubbed “Europe’s last dictatorship” called for an overhaul of the system in the wake of the arrests. |
Other smaller instances of corruption and administrative failures have hit local and national governments in recent months. | Other smaller instances of corruption and administrative failures have hit local and national governments in recent months. |
Independent economist and director of the Scientific Research Mises Center, Yaroslav Romanchuk welcomed the government shake-up. | Independent economist and director of the Scientific Research Mises Center, Yaroslav Romanchuk welcomed the government shake-up. |
“It is good to replace these people, pillars of the old socialist economy,” he said, adding that the new team were not “bogged down in corruption”. | “It is good to replace these people, pillars of the old socialist economy,” he said, adding that the new team were not “bogged down in corruption”. |
“Sergei Rumas knows what the economy and finance are about, he’s an intelligent economist … we can hope for the start of economic reforms, as long as Lukashenko gives a mandate to carry them out,” Romanchuk said. | |
Political analyst Valeriy Karbalevich said: “Lukashenko has discovered the government wasn’t afraid of him, it clearly wasn’t carrying out his orders.” | |
The president “hopes the new people will be too scared to steal or sabotage his directives”, he added. | The president “hopes the new people will be too scared to steal or sabotage his directives”, he added. |
Lukashenko has ruled Belarus, wedged between Russia and Poland, since 1994. | Lukashenko has ruled Belarus, wedged between Russia and Poland, since 1994. |
Belarus | Belarus |
Alexander Lukashenko | |
Europe | Europe |
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