Vladimir Zhirinovsky: Belarus's Lukashenko should leave office or expect a shortened life

"We have had enough of him. Not only Belarus has got tired of him, we all are fed up with him. Are18 years not enough?” Vice-Chairman of the State Duma of Russia said.

“If it were not for Russia, they would certainly treat him like Gaddafi. All accounts would be arrested, the entire blockade imposed, especially after December 19 events. Mr Lukashenko should understand that the epoch is different. Not only Belarus has got tired of him, all of us are tired of him. Are 18 years a term not long enough? He must understand he must stand down.

What else have I proposed before? The international standard is necessary. The head of the state should be elected for 5 years, two terms at maximum. And a regime of sanctions, the harshest ones, should be immediately imposed by all countries against those who exceed [this term]. And there should be a recommendation for all countries to elect a president for one term only. Then we shall exclude the situation when people hold their posts for 15, 20, 30 years. Gaddafi [was in power] for 42 years! They are fanatics. They have fanaticism to stay in power until their death. Stalin stayed in power until death – he was poisoned, Khrushchev was forced to leave by deceptive means, Brezhnev was smothered. Their lives were harassed out of them all! They were driven to grave prematurely. And with a term of 5 years, there would have been 20 leaders, reforms would have been finished already, and the life would merrier, so the leaders are to blame for all that…

It is the only way out, otherwise Lukashenko or Gaddafi would appear in every country. Do they want their death? They do not understand that people would be waiting for their death, and they are to die earlier indeed. Niyazov was not so old at all… How long is North Korea to suffer, how long is Belarusian nation to suffer? How long Gaddafi is going to stay? A month, two, three, five? Thousands of young Arabs are in graves because these elderly leaders do not want to step down. This all concerns us as well. An international standard in democracy should be developed, it is important, similarly as in the sphere of corruption, organized crime and illicit drugs,” stated Vladimir Zhirinovsky in an interview to Rossiya-24 TV channel.