What do the stars say?

Not hoping for the services of scientists any more, Alyaksandr Lukashenka is seeking help from futurologists.

Experts and futurologists have been invited to the public and advisory council at the administration of Lukashenka, chaired by Uladzimir Makei, head of the administration.

They express different opinions on effectiveness of this new institution in an interview to Deutsche Welle.

A step for consolidation of the society

Syarhei Kastsyan, head of the Belarusian Slavic Committee, is sure creation of this council, consisting of different political and public figures, is a step forward the liberalization of the Belarusian society, able not to disunite, but to consolidate the society.

According to Syarhei Kastsyan, this step will give an opportunity for the president to mobilize the proposed ideas, to select the best of them.

“so, through the unity of the society it is possible to move the economy forward and enter the international market as joint force, because struggling and confrontation of ideas can only hinder overcoming the economic crisis,” Syarhei Kastsyan said.

“Moreover, the crisis in our country is not very deep,” the politician thinks.

Everything depends on tasks

In view of politologist Uladzimir Matskevich, the very fact of invitation of the opposition to take part in functioning of this council is important, but everything will depend on members of the council and gravity of the problems set. The expert doesn’t exclude it may be a simulation of work of this council, connected with the crisis, though the country have other problems in addition to economic ones.

“It’s difficult to say how effective will be this council, taking into account the number of tasks that will be set up,” Uladzimir Matskevich emphasised.

The politologist doesn’t exclude this council many turn into fraud in course of time, but now he welcomes creation of such an institution.

Ersatz parliament?

Futurologist Alyaksandr Patupa thinks the authorities can make a real step forward the improving of political image of the country with the help of this mechanism. “The council can be a controlling institution, discussing some principal regulatory legal draft acts, give conclusions on them and propose own projects,” the expert says.

According to Alyaksandr Patupa, it is too early to speak about possible success and failures of the new agency. The expert supposes “if another plan is launched, it may have negative consequences: either the opposition forces will quarrel with one another and with the state, or officials will quarrel with one another and give grounds for needless offends, and the situation may become even worse.”

The futurologist states: “If public and advisory council can take the functions, lost by the parliament that has no control over the presidential power, it would be a great strategic step of Belarus on the way to possible liberalization and democratization.”

In the picture: the caricature depicts a king asking an astrologer: “Well, what do the star say?” The astrologer is frightened because the stars say “Your king is a goner”