19 March 2024, Tuesday, 14:22
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Fight Back

47
Fight Back
PHOTO BY GAZETABY.COM

In the end of the spring the ruler thought about the election.

He was sitting not under a spreading willow on the shore of a pond, but surrounded by his companions in formal circumstances. Realizing the historical importance of the moment, he was speaking words deliberately. His adherents tried to write down his words being afraid of missing a comma or an interjection. And the result is this:

"The Belarusian legislation complies with international principles and takes into account the prevailing rules, electoral traditions. We take it for granted and keep silence sometimes. But there must be no modesty. It is subject to discussion."

Of course, this is only a piece of priceless instructions for the upcoming election campaign. This is just a few phrases - but what a text! A basic programme of Drazdy party is pressed in a briquette. It would be better to sculpt this concentrate of a governing thought in a precious bronze and install in the main square to let foreigners admire elegance and depth of the thought. The full laconism of these words reminds of the writing on the gates of Hell: "Abandon hope all ye who enter here!"

The summer is gone before we know it. September, the election time, will come. Masterful vote recorders will sum up the result known long ago. Despite all persuasions and calls of western teachers to backward dictatorship, the result will be the same. With small nuances.

Why? A fragment mentioned above notes that these "traditions and rules" are here not by coincidence. The ruler meant not buffets at polling stations. And, of course, not a beating by Special Forces in squares. Most probably he did justice to administrative resource, early voting, and incredible vote counting. Stunned by such promiscuous impudence unknown smarties found a phrase which specifies the very sense of the immortal power. "Whether you vote or not, all the same you'll take a ..." You know the end.

Well, it's an attractive perspective for the society. It looks like the only intrigue of the upcoming parliamentary election is whether protesting people in the Square are to be beaten or not. Alien moderate behavior in the previous election caused a storm of cheers of western officials. And political prisoners were released, by the way. What a progress! Well, the dictatorship is bad. Why don't we try to wash away this embarrassing misunderstanding and make it look more or less attractive? Some more European efforts and yesterday's political porcupine will look quite acceptable. Of course, conformism is not the best variant, but how will we do without it?

It is barely possible that someone in Brussels or Strasbourg does not know about other report on the situation Belarus which is to be presented in the mid-July in Geneva. The UN Special Rapporteur Miklós Haraszti gives an objective assessment of these "positive changes" that so suddenly inspired European officials. "The release of prisoners before the "election" with no right to be nominated might only aggravate the atmosphere of fear, which has been prevailing in the country for decades already. After 2010 the repressive legal system has become even tougher. Criminal and administrative penalties against opponents, critics, and those who more or less peacefully try to express disagreement are invoked more often."

Are these "positive changes" European bureaucrats so persistently refer to a new round of dance with the dictatorship? Nevertheless, the legalization of an odious regime continues. Europe demands mere trifles – a fig leaf of more or less "democratic" election. Well, nothing of the kind! The regime acts up, runs head against a wall, tries to refer to some "rules and traditions" as if it is impossible to take a different scenario to count votes.

However, there is a kernel in the most modest requirements of the West. Why don't they take advantage of the situation and make the regime play their game? The revolution is not the best and only way to change the power. Elections are much simpler and more reliable. This is how many prosperous countries got rid of disgusting regimes. They made swindlers thoroughly count all "pro and cons". Is it hard, impossible? Is it easy to live this way for 22 years?

It would be nice to recall that the true way of changing power is to vote. This is also a safe investment in the future. Doesn't anyone know what to do when the government asks to put this priceless paper in a garbage can of fraud elections?

A contract system? Your chief is strict and you are afraid of losing a job? Well, the government still hopes for servility of an intimidated electorate. But those Misters from the European Union dancing a sentimental waltz with this grim power do not even have doubts that sweeping changes have been done and regular elections will take place under rules of OSCE. Why don't this fantastic scenario be filled with a specific sense and make it play?

It is high time to switch from the perpetual complaints to some actions. Universal discontent, protests and patience running low with current means of communication can be transformed into votes. Anyway, we should try. And what is more. It may help to move off dead center with its lonely voice of the dictatorship.

However, nobody can give guarantees, unless the society learns to fight back. The western politicians got used to the regime. No one takes care of us. There are haunted houses. Why is it impossible to have a utility room with old-fashioned European values? Other times, other values.

And a beautiful house may have a secret chamber with the last dictatorship. Exotica is always in demand.

Uladzimir Khalip, especially for charter97.org

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