Authorities Might Be Late With Starting Round Table Discussion

Lukashenka’s regime could be swept off with the people’s protest.

Coordinator of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Dzmitry Bandarenka has stated this in an interview to the Charter97.org.

- The protest actions have been going on in Belarus for the second week. Has the “social parasites” decree become the last straw to end the people’s patience?

- I admire the Belarusian people who woke up at last and realized that they shouldn’t tolerate abuse anymore, and came out to the streets. I think this is just a beginning and the government will break its neck on this decree.

- Supposing Lukashenka cancels this decree tomorrow. Will the people’s lives change for the better?

- This would be the victory of the people who stood up for their rights. It would be impossible to return to the previous situation. Besides, my daughter, who hasn’t been in Belarus for six years, also received this “letter of happiness”. They demand she should also pay this fee in the amount of Bn 360.

When we got to the KGB prison, masked people vandalized there, abusing and torturing political prisoners. Two operativists, who introduced themselves as Slava and Stsiapan, threatened that they would put my daughter, who also was in the Square in 2010, to prison if I didn’t sign the paper on collaboration. I asked my lawyer to tell her to emigrate as soon as possible. She got the political asylum, and now the tax inspectorate of the Lenin district, represented by Mrs. Katsiaryna Zaretskaya, demands she should pay this Lukashenka’s tax. I reckon this as continuation of political repressions and pressure on my family.

There will be no way back even if Lukashenka abolishes the decree. With the new government, my daughter and I will file a lawsuit to make them recompense the moral damage and the pressure on my family. And I believe that, in the new Belarus, the independent court will satisfy the lawsuit against Mrs. Zaretskaya for the sum equivalent to approximately $ 50K. I think dozens of thousands Belarusians will do the same with regard to the punitive authorities of the tax inspectorates. Therefore, the situation will never return to the starting point. If the government breaks the Constitution, the people will defend their rightness in the court of the new Belarus. To avoid this, the tax officials have only one way out — to quit this hideous job en masse.

- Mikalai Statkevich has stated there is a need to escalate the pressure on the authorities and to come out to the action in the center of Minsk on March 25. How would you comment this?

- Mikalai Statkevich, after his release from prison, has set an example of personal courage. He organized a series of protest actions in the center of Minsk. According to him, we need "to keep a foothold of freedom in the center of the capital."

Finally, the Belarusians woke up, came out to the streets and now it’s time to demonstrate the people’s power on March 25. Dozens of thousands people will come out to the streets. It remains important that the whole Belarus should be in Minsk on March 25, while the actions in the regions will be held on March 26. It seems to me that March 25 will once again be the landmark day in the history of Belarus, the day when the Rubicon will be crossed.

- Literally several weeks ago, the suggestion to hold a round-table discussion involving both the authorities and the opposition was sounded. Is it possible to hold a round-table discussion with the regime?

- This would be the best possible option. Now the Belarusian authorities, as well as the lured journalists and analysts, dare to make some boorish remarks that the opposition’s place is not at the table, but under the table. We’ll see who will be where in a couple of months.

Today, the opposition can feel confident because its predictions about the development of the situation in the country have come true. It is the call of the opposition which took the people to the streets.

It is obvious that there must be a peaceful way out of the crisis, to which the country was brought by the incompetent government. It should be a dialogue, perhaps, and a round table. I have the impression that Lukashenka and the government remain incapable of adequate assessment of the situation. It may happen that no round table will be needed as the masses will simply sweep away the regime.

If the regime tries to delay the process, I admit there might be such scenario. There is not enough money to pay pensions, people get laid-off. The opposition has made its suggestion. If the authorities ignore it, the consequences can be sad for them.

- After prison, you were forced to leave the country because of the non-stop pressure. Under which conditions are you ready to return?

- I will be back when it’s most useful for the common cause. Now, one can do a great number of things only from abroad. I am a team player, and the decision on my possible return to Belarus will be taken by the whole our team.