Down-counter for Lukashenka Is on

The turning point can come very soon.

"There is no stability at work at all; you never know what salary you can get in the end of the month. At the same time, you clearly understand that all the losses and force majeures will be our burden," a construction worker from Minsk told about peculiarities of the Belarusian "social model".

What other problems does the state shift to the shoulders of its citizens and how long will the situation last?

The representative of the Belarusian National Congress in Hrodna Siarhei Veramyeenka answered questions of Charter97.org.

Minsk construction worker resents about the situation in the sphere. What is the situation with employment like in Hrodna?

- I don't think that Hrodna locates in some other state. I have recently asked my friend: "How are you doing?" He said: "Are you living in some other country?"

We have found ourselves in the situation of a "contract serfdom". An employer is one to decide whether an employee continues its work, or I would specify the authorities' order an employer can get the next day.

Workers in Belarus no longer have the confidence in future that was about 15 years ago. And the thing is not only about the contract system; under a careful guidance of one notorious "man at the wheel", the country suffers a permanent crisis. The economy does not develop and there is no such demand in the labor market as before.

And a worker has no choice: either you are a "sponger" or work for a pretty penny with lots of violations on the part of an employer.

- Hrodna locates next to the border with Poland and Lithuania. Do people compare our life with this of neighbors Lukashenka vowed not to "fall behind of"?

- Of course, everyone understands where this path ran to from the civilized world. After all, a person in Hrodna with no Schengen visa causes a true wonder on the part of others. Even a pensioner on a bicycle travels through one of the EU's borders to buy cheaper products there.

This is especially true for Poland. People go there for shopping, go to work, young people try to get a European education. At the same time, everyone sees a simple and eloquent difference in figures: for studying in Poland students pay significantly less than in Belarus, and those who work there do not just receive, but postpone the very same $500 or euro a month or even more after all their spendings.

- But not all regions of Belarus have such a concentration of Schengen visas per capita. How do you assess the social situation in the country as a whole?

- The situation resembles a steam boiler which has all vents closed. After all, people go to Russia much less: too many risks and cases of deception. A month ago I talked to a man who returned home after "work" in Kaluga.

There is one option for Belarusian workers left - to solve problems in their country. And people are now extremely angry at the authorities, every day the degree of discontent is rising.

It's hard to say when the boiling point is reached. But one thing I know for sure: the authorities take high risks, there may be a riot. Down-counter for the authority is on. However, it itself launched it: only prices for utilities and taxes increase while salaries are getting low.

Perhaps, the turning point is about to come - in the spring - when Mr. Lukashenka once again tries to turn to amended Decree No. 3 and raise taxes from "spongers".

And this decree will affect not only those who are currently unemployed; it will affect almost all Belarusians. After all, everyone can become a "sponger" tomorrow in our country.

- Experts calculated that according to the updated Decree No. 3, the payment for heating for "spongers" could grow fivefold. What could you say about it?

- You know, during the Soviet era we were told a horror story about "life in the West." An old man felt bad and fell down on the street. When people ran up to him and wanted to call an ambulance someone said: "wait, you need to check in his pockets whether he has money". There was no money and no call to ambulance was made, the man died.

It is clear that it was just propaganda with respect to the West. But in Belarus it may become true soon. Under the new decree, if a person has become unemployed, he can be denied medical assistance, the right to write a statement to the police, if he is attacked, he can face the fivefold heating fee increase for him five times.

Will an unemployed be deprived of an apartment if there is no money to pay for dramatically increased cost of housing and communal utilities?

The authorities have reached the extreme point of absurdity with the decree. People compare their lives with what they had before - and conclusions are not in favor of the "market socialism" that Lukashenka has built. But in fact, he came to power in 1994 to promote "achievements" of the Soviet past. Therefore, one can be said for sure: the last of his former supporters got disappointed with Lukashenka.

His "program" failed long ago. The "contract" with the population has ceased to function and people understand that it will be possible to return to some kind of social guarantees only when we completely change the power.

I have never considered Belarusians "tolerant". This is the stereotype imposed from the outside. It can be said that Belarusians are tried to be oppressed. And every oppressed people declares themselves sooner or later.

Now all indicators prove that set of circumstances successfull for Belarusians and fatal for the authority is about to come. The time is coming when the Russian Empire is so weakened that it will not be able to support its satrap in Minsk. Then the Belarusians will be able to straighten their shoulders and say their word.

And we will finally get our deserved victory over the dictatorship. It is difficult to say when this will exactly happen, perhaps, a few months left, but it will happen for sure.