Political Mirages

"Parliamentary Campaign" reminds of the Theatre of the Absurd mixed with ads in a rent-a-gent style.

A campaign of agitation - the most interesting and exciting stage of the election process of any state - takes the podium now. There are nominees for "deputies" to the Belarusian "parliament", who can suit any taste; TV and radio addresses, television debates, numerous pickets in the streets. It is hard to imagine that in our authoritarian desert we can have such democratic oasis. But is it real?

I have watched almost all the TV addresses of candidates. I was scared. Most candidates promised major repairs of residential buildings, construction of new health centers and nursery schools, painting of fences, sticking plaster solutions, and other wonders of the once popular ads about "rent-a-gent." I have never met such level of cheap populism before. And I decided to visit pickets of pro-governmental candidates, in our country even a baby knows that "deputies" are chosen not by people, but according to lists adopted by higher officials.

The first thing that strikes the eye is a complete absence of interest of people and organizers to such pickets. A girl wearing a cap "Belaya Rus" confessed that she would vote for an opposition candidate and she was ordered to be there. Social work is to be present from 2 to 5 pm. Mirage! It looks like the picket exists, but it is not.

I approach to men. They are certainly competent and it will be interesting! I ask simple questions. What does Parliament mean? What are its functions? Is there any difference between a deputy and a politician? Well, I would give them "C"- the Parliament is a legislative body. Ok.

The next question is how a "deputy" will fulfill his promise to overhaul houses number three, eight and forty-four, to install playgrounds with a sandbox, etc. Cue the cricket noises. I help them. The Parliament passes laws that map out the life of our country. Well, as soon as your nominee becomes the "deputy", will he burst into adoption of laws on capital repairs of houses mentioned above? Men start breathing heavily, bending brows and saying "everyone has his own opinion."

It makes me laugh. Then I say that most of promises in the list are the prerogative of local authorities. Is this the right place, guys?

The discussion started to attract attention of ordinary citizens, who began to demonize candidates and their adherents using sometimes even foul language. And it's true!

During four last years "deputies" adopted only three laws. Other things were launched by Lukashenka's Administration, the government and adopted almost unanimously. Well, the main function of the Belarusian "Parliament" is to press right buttons in the Oval Hall. Do we need such parasites?

The political system of Belarus is driven to the point of absurdity. Citizens do not believe in "elections", nominees to the "parliament" do not understand its function, and some of them even consider it the executive branch! Well, even the head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yermoshyna has recently made a striking statement proving her political illiteracy - candidates for "deputies" of the Belarusian "parliament" cannot act as politicians during the election campaign and to raise issues of the nation-wide level. How do you like it?

How long should we go through the authoritarian desert, if all these democratic oases turned to be only political mirages? It depends on each of us.

Denis Tikhonenko, Belorusskiye Novosti