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What Surprises for "Parasites" to Come?

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What Surprises for "Parasites" to Come?

At any moment other anti-constitutional decree may be adopted.

Since December 1 the "parasite" database has come into force. 500 thousand Belarusians are added to the special list. Earlier, the authorities promised that "parasites" would pay in full for utilities, and nothing more. But December 10, Lukashenka signed another decree against the unemployed. From March 1, "parasites" will not be able to count on state support for housing construction.

Should these Belarusians expect new surprises from the authorities? Charter97.org asked one of the REP Trade Union's leaders Ihar Komlik for comments:

- A year ago Lukashenka ordered to employ every Belarusian, but the number of "parasites" has only increased. Did the authorities fail the dictator's mission?

- Yes, it's true, but officials put the best face on matters. Everything in our country is technically and professionally farfetched: statistics hide reliable figures. Here they had to report that "everything's fine, the task is accomplished, there are fewer and fewer unemployed people, there are no problems". They are tarred with the same brush.

Probably, officials do not realize that no changes in the economy, when industry and agriculture really operate, deprive Belarusians of a decent salary.

- What vacancies do the authorities offer Belarusians?

- You know, no two vacancies are alike. There are a lot of fictitious job offers. Here is an example: a Chinese-speaking specialist wanted. The thing is that such vacancies are designed for a native speaker.

The vacancy is open, but nobody's going to hire a young specialist. Job offers are often useless, they are extremely low-paid. Sometimes people have to pay half of wage to make it to a workplace. Then this vacancy does not make any sense. Not the number but the quality of vacancies matters.

But it's not even about vacancies, because people who have found a job abroad, there are a lot of them, and housewives, who bring up children over 7 years old, fall under the decree. Even if there are two children in the family, she still falls under Lukashenka's decree.

An average salary of 1000 rubles is announced. If there had been such jobs, the unemployment issue would not have been so acute. Now people from regions are flooding Minsk. They cannot find a job in their towns and villages or simply do not want to work for free.

- No sooner had the "parasite database" appeared than Lukashenka signed the law, according to which the unemployed were deprived of state support in housing construction. How could you comment on it?

- Once again, this decree should be replaced with normal jobs with decent salaries and then the issue is solved by itself.

I can say that many "parasites" go abroad and look for jobs with decent wages to build their own homes. Unfortunately, it's not possible with Belarusian salaries.

As for the new law against the unemployed, the authorities are simply looking for something to pinch people for, who bend over backwards. In the homeland they are not provided with normal living conditions. Belarusians are trying to somehow solve issues the state is not capable of solving at the moment.

- It is alarming that the authorities do not keep to raising prices of housing and communal services for the unemployed. Is it possible for new decrees to be issued against "parasites"?

- It should be noted that the authorities are solving all problems at the expense of the Belarusians. Everything points to the fact that this trend - the transfer of all problems on shoulders of ordinary citizens - will continue.

As for the payment of utility charges, it has been said for a long time that all Belarusians have to pay in full, and in the end we will come to this anyway. That's why anything may happen.

We are talking about the fact that in principle, these decrees on "parasites" - the third and the first one - violate the Constitution of Belarus, and introduce the concept of forced labour. A human is engaged in labour by pressure and threats. I mean that, unfortunately, we have such a power, which spits on the Constitution, international obligations.

There are no guarantees that there will be no new anti-constitutional decree or law issued. Given that, officials do not want to limit themselves and do not intend to do so, other tax may be issued. Again, the authorities are trying to solve their problems at the expense of ordinary people.

- The REP trade union says that it will work out recommendations to resist the "parasite" decree. What advice could you give to those who made it to the base?

- You have to sue for illegal enrollment for the database. First of all, because it contains personal data. And in general, it is necessary to challenge the very existence of the unconstitutional decree! We should defend ourselves against all kinds of lawlessness. There are various ways to do this, including legal ones.

One can write to "parasite commissions" to provide people with an "average salary" of Br1000 or $500. Let's see how they react to that. After all, it makes sense that the average Belarusian should receive an average salary. Every "parasite" should have a European salary, then a conversation is possible.

- Do people who live in luxury mansions have a moral right to demand money from the unemployed?

- This issue has been on agenda for a very long time. Nobody in Drazdy gives up their luxury penthouses, high wages, so they do not care about problems of ordinary citizens. They are not tied to, for example, production moments, so that the company was not bankrupt, and worked properly. They're just sitting on taxpayers' shoulders. That is, they live off taxes and try to get something else.

Although in Belarus, when you get down to it, everything is becoming far more expensive - allegedly free medicine or education, free attendance at preschool institutions. It all doesn't come cheap if you listen to people who face it.

Efforts of officials should aim at ensuring a proper operation of the economy in the country, rather than at filling holes in order to increase the tax burden on people.

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