Belarus Is on the Verge of Great Changes

During spring protests Belarusians successfully passed the unity test.

Hrodna coordinator of the Belarusian National Congress Siarhei Veramyeenka summed up political results of the Belarusian Spring-2017. In his article for bnknews.org he told about prominent moments which started with the March of Angry Belarusians in Minsk and spread across the country:

- The first and main result of this spring is the suspension of Decree No. 3. Lukashenka actually organized the protest by issuing an illegal act. And he himself abolished it. It was done under pressure of the population led, as he used to say, by "useless opposition." Why was it necessary to set troops and special equipment on March 25? The answer is simple: the ruler is afraid of resistance of ordinary people. So-called "spongers" are no longer the "fifth column" and not "nationalists-BPF members". The dictator slipped his hand into their pocket and paid heavy price. As a result, people demanded his resignation, moreover, often under national symbols.

An empty stomach made a Belarusian turn on the brain. Citizens began to understand that the policy, the economy and the same "elections" which have been repeatedly falsified are interrelated things. The hands and feet cannot function well when the head is sick. "We are peaceful people, but violent in battles," Dzieciuki band sings.

It happened that the isolation of all democratic leaders of the Hrodna region only damaged the authorities. For example, on March 15 more than a thousand people came and Aliaksandr Laurentsyeu, an ordinary man, a chef with a megaphone and a flag led Hrodna residents to the City Executive Committee. The authorities had no answers to simple questions. Even policemen deceived by authorities and resigned after 17-18 years of service had no answers.

Zugzwang is a very good characteristic of such actions. Everything Lukashenka does only makes the situation worse. And here I am ask by a guardian: "What to do?". And almost from the very beginning cellmates take our side. After all, "such lawlessness should not exist", because "you see, we did not know it", since the prison should not turn into a place for torture.

The second result of the protests. As a member of the Rada of the BCD and the Rada of the BNC, I note that during spring actions the opposition passed the unity test. Belarus has not seen for a long time when everyone - from the left to the right wing - comes out with one column. Both occupants and antinational power have always been afraid of unity of the nation. By the way, the regions have never had any problems with the unity of democrats. After all, everyone here understands that the neighbor's problems are our common problems.

The third result of the protests. The "sheep" has finally lost its clothing. Everyone remembers an old fairy tale about a wolf in sheep's clothing trying to pretend the leader of an obedient flock. But it turned out that the ruler was not a peaceable ram at all, but citizens were not a flock.

The fourth result. The initiative moves to the regions. Here we are talking not only about the regional centers. You just look what happened to, for example, Orsha, Baranavichy, Rahachou...

The fifth result - an unexpected one. Unknown people greet me in Hrodna shops. I always say that a protest is our common deal and everyone can be an initiator. This is a normal in a true civil society which we miss so much, but it will inevitably come if we do not concede, of course.

Hrodna is now the city of angry Belarusians. Workers are getting more and more angry about reducing salaries. People realize that something must be done to get something. It will not be possible to sit out. Obviously, great changes are about to come. But the way we come to it - grief, war, another devastation or a civilized manner - depends on us.