We Should Fight

Who wants to replace Mikalai Statkevich with Dzmitryueu.

November 24 is the 20th anniversary of the referendum of 1996. It is the coup anniversary.

The day before a representative delegation of the European Union arrived in Minsk, I was going to visit it with Mikalai Statkevich, but I went there alone, naviny.by writes.

Why? ..

The first thing we did with Statkevich, when he came out of prison - we analyzed the events of the Square-2010 and during the presidential elections-2015. When facts and evidence of him coincided with mine, we both voiced our common statement regarding Andrei Dzmitryueu. About his cooperation with special services.

"That understanding of human dignity that I have does not allow me to sit at the same table with the traitor", Statkevich gave an answer of the first adviser of the embassies to the question: "Why did you refuse to appear at the meeting organized by our ambassador with the Belarusian opposition?" Thereafter, Dzmitryueu was not invited to the meeting where Statkevich appeared.

Until recently ...

Both Statkevich and Dzmitryueu were invited to a recent meeting between opposition and the EU delegation of the Political and Security Committee. Statkevich thanked for the invitation and said that the meeting of such format was not possible. Nevertheless, the decision on Dzmitryueu's invitation was not canceled and it made the presence of Statkevich impossible.

Of course, organizers decide whom to invite to meetings. It would not be even noteworthy, but for some substitution of one participant to another which is directly connected with the current EU policy towards the Belarusian regime and supported by the majority of the opposition. They used to treat the Tell the Truth campaign with contempt, now they cry: "We stand for peaceful changes! We stand for peaceful changes!" - this is called "trend", to put it simply - to trim the sails to the wind.

And doing so, the opposition has almost lost its mind. Or at least, it has lost sequence and logic of actions. For example, absence of recognition of the "parliament" appointed by Lukashenka does not bother the opposition to recognize the competence of two their representatives to the "parliament", approved by Lukashenka all the same. It is trying to serve it up to the EU as its electoral success, first steps towards peaceful changes...

This is the trend.

The position of the Belarusian National Congress (BNC) currently does not play into the trend. And all addresses of the BNC's representatives do not make any sense. The soap opera called "democratization" and produced by Lukashenka cast the opposition in the role of corps de ballet.

What is the result? All the meetings between European politicians and the Belarusian opposition are of ritual nature. In order not to offend. And real talks are conducted with the authorities, with the regime.

And once again I saw the need to stand for the principal position of the BNC when I visited the meeting with the EU delegation of the Political and Security Committee as a sign of respect of that organization, conclusions and recommendations of which mainly decided the direction of the entire EU foreign policy. The position was voiced after the question of members of the Committee:

- Are reforms the Belarusian authorities promise to take a reality or an illusion?

- An illusion. All the needed reforms were taken by Lukashenka 20 years ago when the referendum of 1996 year, he totally captured the power. He appoints the Parliament, he is the one who can judge. And he is not going to abolish his "reforms". And there is no place left for other ones. Political changes are not possible without economic ones. They could be real only if the regime is overthrown, this is what the Belarusian democratic opposition aiming at, it might already forgotten that its initial aim is to come to power.

The question is that whether real reforms are possible or its is just the illusion. The answer depends on further policy line. And methods of work...

I am convinced that Lukashenka is not able to perform any overhaul reforms. There are people who are ready to consider other milking of pensioners, the authorities decide to save money on, a reform.

And if I am wrong and Lukashenka is able to overcome his fears, phobias and sacrifice something personal because of the country and the people, I will be the first to beg pardon. I will write a poem about a statesman I failed to understand. But my intuition, both political and poetic, suggests that it will not happen.

The majority of the opposition does not accept propositions of the BNC. Leaders of opposition organizations reject the idea of the uniting congress. It happened not because of ideological reasons, but because Statkevich could have become a real reader of the opposition. And nobody wants it. How is it possible when our parties and unions exceed in numbers?...

Let Statkevich be replaced by Dzmitryueu. The "structure" is larger than yours, all put together. According to Lukashenka, there are 10.000 "invisible" fighters who are well-known in Belarus.

By the way, should I beg Dzmitryueu's pardon (I used to treat him with parental love)? No way. It happens as soon as it turns out that his activity was an artful line to overthrow the regime and for the sake of democratic movement. But now the opposite is true .

In general, what parties do we talk about in the country with no policy? What is known about them? People are known. They have trust in. They are true leaders.

The first leader of an independent Belarus is the member of the BNC. Four presidential candidates. Most of the Belarusian prisoners of conscience. Regional leaders. The Nationhood and Independence movement, the part of the BNC, including well-known people such as Nobel Prize winner Sviatlana Alexievich, Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Chyhir, artists, musicians who have concerns that the policy line "changes through thaw in relations" will not be able to change, but preserve the regime, which can finally ruin the Belarusian language, the national culture and consciousness.

They are not children, embroidered t-shirts, ribbons with national ornaments are not enough, they stand for a true Belarus. They are ready to fight for it. Is it really right not to take into account their opinion and position?

The opposition is so fractionary that it is no longer able to hold common protest actions. Some actions are annulled. People are invited to different places at a different time. So, we urge to stop it! To be here together.

Coup d'état performed 20 years ago is already called by servants of the regime (for example, Yermoshyna) legitimate, constitutional! And it can become as such and it can be bleached in the society, especially in the eyes of the youth, if we do not do our best to stop these crimes! This is a direct duty of the democratic opposition.

On November 24 we hold a protest on Freedom Square in Minsk at 18:00. And we maintain our promise towards our presence and presence of our activists on all protest actions organized by other opposition structures. We need to prepare the Belarusian society to actions, it may happen that we will have to fight not only for the democracy in Belarus, but to defend it.