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Mikalai Statkevich: Spiritual Revolution Wages in Belarus

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Mikalai Statkevich: Spiritual Revolution Wages in Belarus

We are witnesses of how the regime is coming to its end and the birth of the Belarusian nation is rising.

The protest is a predictable thing, anyway, but the future of Belarus depends on the person who will head it. Now this place is taken by a patriotic opposition, this is the core guarantee that Belarus will maintain independence.

One of the opposition leaders, the ex-political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich said in an interview to Novy Chas.

- Now everyone argues whether "Maidan" is needed in Belarus. What do you think?

- It is impossible in Belarus, because we do not have such a word (laughs). And what about events like Ukrainian... Our situation is completely different. We do not have independent electronic media, television, any opposition faction in the Parliament, and, finally, the opposition in power is not included in the city leadership of Minsk. We have a different situation, background and mentality.

Belarusians are more ready for reforms, and perhaps we could be more successful in building the rule of law, because we have a different attitude to the law. It's related to history. The history of Cossacks is the ideal of the Ukrainian society. The Cossacks are brave and decent people, but we know the way they treated laws and property. Ukraine has and will have problems with it. In turn, we had great share of free citizens, a social elevator any person could enter... Noble people lived by law. We had a legal state, not a perfect one but legal. Things could have been much better, if we had not mistaken in our choice in 1994.

Decree Is Only a Reason

- Can protest actions make a difference? Can this be only the way to "burn off steam"?

-Today's protests are already changing the situation because they change the society. People turn into citizens at once. Not just those who get sticks or carrots given by the authorities, but citizens with their own will to decide their fate, the fate of their children and their country. To some extent, things happening now can be called an internal, spiritual revolution. People in a terrorized country feel strength, dignity and strive to changes. This is a historical period; we now observe the birth of the Belarusian civil society, the birth of the nation. This is a great time.

The Decree on spongers is only the reason, a trigger which has given a hit to changes people have been preparing to. And nothing more.

- Earlier everybody used to say, especially during polling meetings: "Everything will be decided in Minsk". But the province is the one who has made the authorities scare.

- They are afraid of people's sentiment. They have separated from the people and do not know the true state of things. And the power got really scared when following Minsk action of February 17 the regions joined it. It has suddenly the full strength of hatred towards itself. But, unfortunately, changes in authoritarian and centralized countries changes occur in the capital. It is clear that these changes can occur only with assistance of the regions.

On 25 March we are going to hold a great action in Minsk, where we must show the strength of the people and its will to changes. The next noon we call for people to come out to squares of their cities throughout Belarus so that they could show that not only the capital takes protests but the entire Belarus.

The Authorities Make People Come to Squares

-The power practices the stick and the carrot tactics. On the one hand, the decree has been frozen, on the other hand, repressions are now practiced. Will they be able to put down a protest this way?

-The authorities still think that the democratic opposition makes people come to squares.

In fact, the power itself does it with its rudeness, disrespect of a human being, corruption, desire to intimidate and control everyone. And the democratic patriotic opposition, at least a part of it, has predicted this situation. It has prepared the ground and mechanisms to protest. People use it now.

A year and a half ago when I was released I started "the creation of a freedom ground in the centre of the capital". And people have started using them. A little less than a year ago at the constituent session of the Belarusian National Congress it was stated: our objective is to lead and direct the social protest to economic and political reforms. We have predicted it. And now people accept our levers of influence, our slogans and even flags.

What will happen next? I think that the situation may take different directions. Many things will depend on the power itself. Brutal means may drive into its brutal end. If there are none, the fight will be delayed. We don't want violence, blood, we don't want to ruin our house, we just want to make it clean. And our steps should be consistent, careful, patient but firm. One action is not able to resolve all the issues. However, we can sweep away these intruders, we are entitled to. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Peoples is still valid.

But we understand that we can provoke outside interference. We'd like to preserve our homeland. That's why we have to act peacefully and consistently. It will be a great job; we will have to take the streets many times. We should act in a boa-style unless this corrupt and deceitful vertical, including law enforcement structures, dies out.

It may happen that the "ruler" will be given on the plate. Unless he himself realizes that a constructive talk is required. Whatever it fantastic is, we are ready for talks. Not for a puppet show called "a round table", but comprehensive negotiations with those who protest.

We hope they have a good sense, but, unfortunately, this scenario is still doubtful.

- There are concerns that protests may provoke the interference of Russia. As a professional military man, could you tell if there's any ground for these concerns?

- Yes, it is. It is reasonable to take precautions, but the social protest is inevitable anyway. It has been predicted, we have prepared for it. If we had failed to prepare and lead it, it would have occurred anyway. Perhaps, it would have happened in a different form and with a different leader. The one that is shown on five of the eight "social" channels of the Belarusian television.

If Lukashenka took care of non-interference of Russia, he'd better then make the Belarusian information field back. I'm not talking about other things, this is just an example. The man who has done so many things against our independence, the national identity of Belarusians, who has destroyed the history, the language, the man I would call the main enemy of our nation in the modern history now suddenly begins to call us almost agents of the Kremlin. Who is an agent?

On the contrary, our steps are careful, thoughtful in order not to pose threats to the independence. Lukashenka himself has created all current threats earlier.

The protest is a predictable thing, anyway, but the future of Belarus depends on the person who will head it. Now this place is taken by a patriotic opposition, this is the core guarantee that Belarus will maintain independence.

We are witnesses of how the regime is coming to its end

- In 2015 you said that this regime would exist for more two or three years. Do you still support this position?

- Yes, because we now observe the crisis of the regime. The resource has run dry. The scheme when a country performs like a large collective farm, when one person has the ability to control almost everyone is a flourishing field for a political control, such a political happiness to a person who is sick with power. But this scheme is not applicable to the economy. Russia has paid for its happiness. Now it can't increase the payment, and it needs to be increased continuously, as the efficiency of this economy drops. And Russia now wants more and more benefits for things it gives. It requires as much as it is needed to abandon everything. And this poses a threat personally to Lukashenka. The regime has come to its dead end.

But it has turned to be the dead end to the entire country. Last year the people still had a piece of hope that the "ruler" would take loans, deceive somebody and things would somehow work out. Today's statements show that the end is facing him.

Indeed, the people are under a terrible stress. Salaries in the regions are as that people can barely find money for food. . And only one person is responsible for it. He controls everything and hence he is responsible for this.

Of course, we witness the end of the system. And, speaking frankly, I'm more concerned about what's going to be after it. Things to be done in this transitional period in order not to fall under control of another state, not to lose our independence, not to cause social upheavals in a divided society. I must now turn to people and say that the difference in languages, geopolitical preferences, or sympathy for any symbolism should not be a cause for a conflict in the society. We are one nation, we have one homeland and we must think about how to build life here.

Now we have to start thinking about what will happen after this man, though, of course, he is not going to leave on his own. But we can't stand it anymore. Soon he runs out of money to feed even his bunch that intimidates people.

After that, we first need free elections, a legitimate authority that represents the entire people. Of course, there is a risk that we can break into another populist, the risk of external interference... But no guts, no glory.

We should move on. And we need to learn the democracy again, build system of separation of powers, balances, deterrence and a normal economy. It should be done very quickly. We may fail, if we are divided in basic values.

The main our treasure is our homeland. And we should keep it safe.

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