The elections and political expediency

Belarusian KGB chief Leanid Yeryn told journalists on 12 April that the OSCE's training of election monitors for Belarus's presidential elections is tantamount to the "recruitment" of agents. Yeryn was commenting on President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's repeated statements that the West is preparing "14,000 militants" intended to influence the election under the guise of election observers. Yeryn pledged that the KGB will soon begin "to deal" with organizers of this "recruitment." Asked if the KGB is going to deport them from Belarus within 24 hours after their arrest, Yeryn said: "If need and political expediency be -- and they are already appearing -- we will use this method too. I think [this may happen] within the next three months."