Stanislau Shushkevich: “The power will change”

“The power in Belarus will change before Russia’s support of the dictatorial regime is removed,” former chairman of the Supreme Council believes.

The Stanislau Shushkevich said this in a Radio Svaboda programme Freedom Questionnaire.

– What if freedom for you?

– It is a possibility to be yourself, and a duty not to hinder others to have the same right.

– What most restricts your freedom?

– The instinct of self-preservation.

– What is happiness for you?

– To do what I like to do.

– What are you most afraid of?

– Betray my principles in temptation or under pressure.

– What talent would you like to have?

– I’d like to play the piano well.

– Whom of the contemporaries do you admire?

– Speaking about the contemporaries I admire I mean the persons who are living now or lived when I was born. Let’s begin with Belarusians, I admire Larysa Heniush, Ryhor Baradulin, Uladzimir Karatkevich. Among those I managed to hear and see are Jan Paul II, academic Sakharov, Lech Walesa, Edward Heath, Helmut Kohl, Bill Clinton, Zhelyu Zhelev, Viktor Yushchenko, Balcerowicz. Among I do not know personallly, Churchhill.

– What do you fond of?

– I like do crafts, build and receive guests.

– If you had a chance to live another life, what would you change?

– I’d try to pay more attention to and take more care of my family.

– What was the best advice you have?

– It’s from my granny: people always have something good in them, try to find it.

– What’s your motto?

– What will be, will be and everything depends on everything.

– What political system would you like to live under?

– Under real democratic system.

– What country would you like to live in?

– In Belarus.

– What time would you like to live in?

– In this time.

– If you ruled Belarus, what would you do first?

– I ruled Belarus, I did everything I could, but not everything I wanted to do. I understood that it’s not enough just to want. You need to have an implementation plan plus diligence, patience, courage and a range of other personal qualities to fulfil this plan. A head of state should be guided by objective indexes of spiritual and material well being of people. This index is inadmissibly low in Belarus because the state cares of well being of the authorities, not people. Many villagers live like their forefathers centuries ago. This must be improved first of all.

– What relations should Belarus have with the European Union?

– Belarus and the EU should have partnership and mutually beneficial relations. As an independent state, Belarus must meet all requirements of EU member states.

– What relations with Russia should Belarus have?

– They should base on partnership and equality.

– It is said: “Let it be dictatorship, but this is our dictatorship”. Do you agree with this?

– Only allies united with criminal intention and persons without human dignity need the dictatorship in Belarus.

– When and how will the power change in Belarus?

– It will change before Russia’s support of the regime is removed.

– When will the Belarusians start speaking Belarusian?

– The majority will speak Belarusian 5–10 years after the anti-Belarusian president and government are replaced by Belarusian ones.

– What will happen if the Belarusians won’t speak Belarusian?

– They will speak!

Stanislau Shushkevich is a politician, physicist. Former chairman of the Supreme Council of Belarus (1991–1994). Worked in the Physics Institute of the Academy of Science of Belarus, in Minsk Radio Technical Institute, in Belarusian State University. Elected a member of the Supreme Council of the USSR and Belarusian Soviet Republic. Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Lives in Minsk.