"Süddeutsche Zeitung": "Lukashenka won't be able play a double game long"

• 23.04.2010, 10:42

Top Western newspapers continue to comment on the stay of the ousted Kyrgyz president Bakiyev in Belarus.

As the US based "Christian Science Monitor" writes, by offering the asylum to Bakiyev, Lukashenka showed "a case of dictator solidarity", reports "Radio Svaboda".

As "Christian Science Monitor" writes, Bakiyev had arrived to Minsk with his family as a personal guest of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, a person whose weird authoritarian regime near the Europe's centre confuses even its only ally, the Kremlin.

The leader of the provisional government of Kyrgyzstan, Roza Otunbayeva condemned the decision of Lukashenka to offer shelter "to this sadist". "This criminal must be handed over back to our country," she said. As for Lukashenka, as said by him, arrival of Bakiyev is a result of a "daring operation" of Belarusian secret services carried out on his initiative.

As said by German observers, Lukashenka has used a chance to disturb Russia, who has left eccentric Bakiyev to sink or swim. Elections are coming in Belarus, and Lukashenka is trying to win scores demonstrating national identity and self-assuredness. Lukashenka is still pressured by Russia in the issue of independence. At the same time he is trying not to become too close to the EU, as the EU does not welcome Lukashenka's decision to grant asylum to the former Kyrgys authoritarian leader. But Lukashenka is unlikely to be able to play a doule game long," "Süddeutsche Zeitung" writes.