No surprises in defense minister's reply to opposition leaders over hazing
Belarus Defense Minister Andrei Raukou. Photo: nn.by
Defense Minister Andrei Raukou officially replied to United Civic Party head Anatol Lyabedzka and Movement for Freedom head Yuras Hubarevich, laconically describing their proposals on the fight against hazing and reforms in the armed forces as 'unnecessary'.
"Ministar Raukou has replied. No surprises. Our generals find it hard to get rid of their Soviet past. They have neither will nor desire nor press from the bottom nor demand from the above," Lyabedzka wrote on Facebook.
Euroradio reported earlier that on 17 January Lyabedzka and Hubarevich visited the minister's public reception during his retreat in the city of Navahrudak in western Belarus.
During the meeting, they put forward three proposals. The first one was to organize a round table on hazing in the Belarus army on March-April with participation of defense officials, activists and foreign experts. The second was to set up a working group at the ministry to promote amendments in the law on the armed forces. The third proposal was to rename the current Alexander Suvorov's military school after Tadeusz Kosciuszko.
