Translated material
"Papakoli" and his children
In Belarus, they say about the allegedly approved scenario of the transfer of power: Lukashenko will yield to the presidential chair to the youngest son. But in the beginning, the oldest will not sit in it for long
Nikolai. Photo: 24lenta.ru
The year 2017 was a record for the number of mentioning the youngest son of Alexander Lukashenko-13-year-old Nikolai: the Belarusian officials pyaned him without sparing his strength. As a result, more and more Belarusians are strengthened in opinion: it is Nikolai Lukashenko who has to settle in the president’s chair after his father. True, there is one obstacle: “Crown Prince” is still too young, while his father is far from young.
Lions for the son of the president
At the end of October, Belarusian media together told readers how the White Lions, donated by Nikolai Lukashenko, live in the Minsk Zoo a year ago. Such a presentation of the Belorussian president was made by the Armenian businessman Gagik Tsarukyan, co-founder of the Belarusian-Armenian company Armenian Standard. The name of rare Lviv Nick and Nick, the cost of one such lion is about $ 140 thousand.
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The methodologist of the zoo Natalya Tysleyko told Belarusian journalists: “They eat lions well, each 10 kg per day. At the same time, they eat only high-quality beef, and not some kind of trimming. Girls of veins and fat remove so that animals do not have obesity. Lions grow wonderful, they are very active. <...> We will soon transfer them to the aviary, which will be reconstructed specifically for them next to other lions. ”
The story about the donated white Lviv donated to Lukashenko, actually completed its PR campaign that lasted since spring. She was called upon to emphasize, on the one hand, the initial chosenness of the 13-year-old boy as a bearer of higher power, and on the other, his "proximity to the people." With the eldest sons Lukashenko-41-year-old Victor and 37-year-old Dmitry-such a number would not have passed. The first works as an assistant to the father in national security and oversees all the power structures in the country, the second rests aloof from politics and leads the “presidential sports club”. Both of them are absolutely not public.
Photo: Azh.kz
But the younger (illegitimate) son, Nikolai Lukashenko, is the other way around. From preschool age, he-in front of the television cameras in the company of his father, accompanies Lukashenko Sr. on all trips around the country and around the world. And everywhere it shows activity: gives the “primer” to the Pope and the casket to his wife Xi Jinping. Yes, and he receives gifts - for example, Dmitry Medvedev presented Koor Lukashenko a gold pistol.
Actually, Alexander Lukashenko has long called his successor the youngest son. In early 2007, he surprised the audience and journalists, saying: “I will prepare the youngest into successors. Perhaps the third will be the president. ” And in 2008, Lukashenko stated: “Everywhere the question is extended, supposedly this organization ( public association“ White Russia ”. -NT) was created under the future president, and that my eldest son will be this president. I already said: the youngest son will be president. "
Everywhere with the father
About 2010, Nikolai Lukashenko, Belarusian state media began to serve almost as a “hereditary prince”. If the two eldest sons Lukashenko almost did not appear publicly, then Koloka was everywhere. Moreover, he not only accompanied his father on absolutely all trips, but also on Saturdays worked with him and even went down to the blown up metro after the attack in April 2011 - to the Oktyabrskaya station, where they had not yet managed to remove corpses. The demonstrative media imposition quickly gave its effect - the discussion of the younger presidential son, as well as the versions of the one who his mother, became very common topics of conversations of Belarusians. And to the very people, Alexander Lukashenko himself, even the joking nickname "Papakoli" (just like that, in a word) was glued.
However, any insightful media-analyst and political technologist should have been noticeable in all this PR campaign for the promotion of Lukashenko-Stherm. For example, in 2015, he and his father took a parade in honor of Independence Day. The Belarusians who watched the broadcast were shocked by everyone-from the servility of the colonel, who worshiped the door of the presidential limousine with a bow to the “knife”, to the orders of generals who are given the honor of the 10-year-old presidential son. But most of all it was outraged by the fact that Lukashenko Jr. was dressed in the form of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, like his father. And with exactly the same shoulder straps. “It was a frank failure,” the political strategist close to power, who wished to remain unnamed.
About 2010, Nikolai Lukashenko, Belarusian state media began to serve almost as a “hereditary prince”. If the two eldest sons Lukashenko almost did not appear publicly, then Koloka was everywhere
Everything has changed since the beginning of this year. Professionals obviously took up the PR-care of the “Crown Prince”-Kolya began to spin a completely different way.
In December 2016, state television showed the first interview with Nikolai Lukashenko. Questions asked the younger son of the president by the 11-year-old Russian journalist Yevgeny Grishin from the city of Artem Primorsky Territory. When asked if he wants to become president, Nikolai replied: “Many people ask me about it. To be honest, I probably would not really like to become president. A very difficult life will be then, I’m not sure that I am ready for it. ” And answering the question of who in this case he would like to become, Nikolai admitted: “Maybe he would become a doctor, he would consider a military career. I have not yet had time to decide, there is still time. ”
Previously, the Belarusian Gosius emphasized the community of Nikolai with his father-how Lukashenko Jr. is fond of hockey, acts as part of the youth team and, of course, everywhere and always wins. And also - plays the piano, rides on mountain and classic skis, is engaged in biathlon and obeys dad.
The Belarusians who watched the broadcast of the Parade were shocked by everyone-from the sake of the colonel, who worshiped the door of the presidential limousine in front of the “Knock”, to the orders of generals who were given the honor of the 10-year-old presidential son
According to the “new version”, the young “Crown Prince” is more independent, has its own opinion and is capable of independent actions. In January 2017, Nikolai Lukashenko, together with teachers and students of one of the schools, congratulated the inhabitants of the Minsk boarding house for pensioners and disabled people on the New Year. They showed a play on the cartoon "Madagascar", where Nikolai played the role of Leo Alex. The wards of the boarding house brought dairy products from the farmstead of Alexander Lukashenko.
- We cook cottage cheese, sour cream and all dairy products from our milk. So they brought you milk, cottage cheese, ”said Nikolai Lukashenko, showing gifts.
“Thank you, Kolya, thanks,” the pensioners answered.
“If you like it, I’ll bring it again,” Nikolai promised.
- Thank you! We will try.
All this, of course, in front of the television cameras.
According to the “new version”, the young “Crown Prince” is more independent, has its own opinion and is capable of independent actions
Finally, they connected the most read non-state newspaper to the PR campaign-“Komsomol truth in Belarus”. In August 2017, a picture of Nikolai Lukashenko appeared on her website on her website on a train. The newspaper said that the unknown reader sent a photo of a boy who was strikingly similar to Koloka to the editorial office. He was driving in the reserved seat of the Adler-Vitebsk train. The author of the photo told the editorial office that he took the picture on August 17, and he himself was a passenger of the same train.
Immediately after this, the press secretary of the President of Belarus, Natalya Eysmont, told (but not the Komsomolka, but BelTA’s state news agency): “Nikolai, indeed, went on the indicated train on Thursday evening, but not from Adler to Vitebsk, but from Mogilev to Shklov, where, by the way, he went on an electric train. The purpose of the trip was a tour of Mogilev, such a quiet and non -public excursion was to take a walk “to the places of my father’s combat glory”, as Nikolai himself put it. And yes, without mom and dad, even though on the forums they can’t believe it in any way. ”
Then, the administration of the Belarusian Railway told reporters that the conductor of the car, in which the president’s son was traveling, learned about who was on the train from passengers. They allegedly told her this already at the entrance to Vitebsk. "They asked with a smile:" Do you even know who you were driving? "
In general, such a simple PR componration, but for unhapped Belarusian consumers-is very effective.
“Cherry on the Cake” was the participation of Nikolai in the discussion of issues of state importance. Alexander Lukashenko several times before the cameras spoke about the reaction of the youngest son to innovation in education. For example, about the start of classes at 9:00. “You do not do it, do not at 9 o’clock. How will parents take children? It’s not the son of the president that is going, ”Nicholas allegedly said to Alexander Lukashenko.
Also, at a meeting of the Republican Pedagogical Council, Lukashenko said what Nikolai thinks about returning to a 5-point assessment system ( now 10-point in Belarus. -NT).
“I have my own example before my eyes,” said Lukashenko. - When I insisted that in the name of preserving the health of children to give them an extra hour to sleep, I urge you to start lessons from 9:00. Personally, I studied at such a time. One hour in the morning is health. He goes there, and already a different mood, assimilates in a different knowledge. I came from this, first of all. But when I asked my son at home, he says: “Now you will force everyone to study, you need to return a five -point system. Yes, she is normal, ten -point, we are already used to it. ”
How he will leave
Alexander Lukashenko solely ruled the country for 23 years, and many are sure that he will be holding on to personal power for a long time. However, time takes his own, and in Belarus more and more often - now already publicly - the issue of transit of power is being discussed. But in a country in which of the ten people surveyed on the street it is unlikely that at least one will be able to name at least the prime minister or the name of the chambers of the parliament, the power is so personified, so identical to Lukashenko’s personality that society automatically considers his sons as inevitable successors.
However, in any case, it is useful to clarify the question for a start: is it possible in principle a voluntary (at least relatively) departure by Alexander Lukashenko from the post of president of the country?
“I do not believe that at some point Lukashenko will leave the presidential chair at some point and agree to the successor. Alexander Grigoryevich is 100% identifying with the authorities, with the country, ”says Olga Karach, head of the civil campaign“ Our House ”. “Even what Alexander Grigoryevich is called“ Old Man ”fits perfectly into his worldview: a leader is only one (like a dad, respectively), and this is he.”
The fact that the transfer of power from Alexander to Nikolai Lukashenko will pass through the eldest son of Victor was the first to speak a Belarusian politician Sergey Skrebets the first a year ago. With reference to a “reliable source”, he stated that the script for the transfer of power to Viktor Lukashenko is already approved
According to Olga Karach, in Belarus, the concept of political leadership for all 23 years of Lukashenko’s reign has never changed - entire generations of officials grew up with this idea: “One person will rule the country, and his name is carved in granite.”
"Why would the concept change only because the current" leader "has grown old?" - asks the rhetorical question Karach.
However, Russian political scientist Stanislav Belkovsky believes that Lukashenko will choose one of his sons as a successor.
“I think that nevertheless he is raising one of his sons to a replace. It is unlikely that he will entrust the throne to someone else, ”Belkovsky said in the program“ Special Opinion ”at Echo of Moscow.
Alexander Lukashenko himself has recently been increasingly indicating the possibility of his departure from the post of president (the last time on July 12 in an interview with TASS). But at the same time, he carefully circumvents the question of a possible successor in silence.
According to the logic of the political process, one of the eldest sons - Viktor Lukashenko, officially holding the positions of the Presidential Assistant for National Security and a member of the Security Council, is most suitable for the role of the nearest successor.
The fact that the transfer of power from Alexander to Nikolai Lukashenko will pass through the short rule of the eldest son of Victor was the first to speak a Belarusian politician Sergey Skrebets the first a year ago. With reference to the “reliable source”, he stated that the script for the transfer of power to Viktor Lukashenko has already been approved. “A referendum will be organized, to which two questions will be brought: the abolition of the death penalty (for the avert of the eyes) and the election of the president by the parliament,” said the scraper. - Viktor Lukashenko is appointed, for example, the head of the Grodno region and is automatically entered the upper house - the Council of the Republic. And then the deputies solemnly choose from their ranks of the new president. ”
How close to reality is that the version of the scraper will become clear very soon. According to the data that NT has, the CEC of Belarus is about to decide that on February 18, 2018, elections to local councils will be held. And on the same date, according to sources in the Lukashenko administration, a referendum may also be appointed - the same one that Sergey Skrebets spoke of.