Economist: Way Out Of Situation In Belarus Is Change Of Power

Economic reforms will only happen when new people come to power.

As a rule, before every so-called election, the authorities try to please Belarusians with something. Unplanned increase in pensions or salaries. In this sense, it is unusually quiet now. Well, except that they promise to increase GDP. True, not now, but by 2025. But immediately at 67%. Oh, how we will live then! This is unlikely though. It is more like a carrot for a donkey, which was pushed far away so that it would not be necessary to move it every year, economist Leu Marholin writes for ucpb.org.

Why will these plans end in nothing? To achieve such a result, the Belarusian economy should grow by an average of 9% every year. Why would it be, if in the last two years, the growth has been 2.5 and 3 percent, respectively. There is no serious growth without investment, and preferably foreign. Because it is foreign investment that brings with it not only money, but also new modern technologies, new products, new markets.

Investments need reforms, because not a single entrepreneur in their sane mind will invest money in a country where no one guarantees the safety of investments, and there will be no reforms, Lukashenka has said this more than once. In this sense, he can be trusted. So, there will be no growth in salaries and pensions, there will be no new jobs. More and more Belarusians will be forced to leave their homes and go abroad to earn money. First temporarily - then forever.

Is there a way out of this situation? Of course, there is - a change of power. And for this we need elections, honest, free, transparent. When each candidate for deputy of all levels has the right to a representative in the election commissions. When votes are really counted, counted in the way that every member of the commission, every observer sees every ballot and makes sure that the posted protocol really reflected the will of the voters, the will of the Belarusian people.

In the meantime, the candidates ’speeches are not broadcasted because of the words about the need for a change of power, about the impeachment of Lukashenka, that the country has reached an impasse. District commissions assume the right to edit the appearances of candidates in the press. They believe in their own impunity so strongly that without a twinge of conscience violate the Criminal Code.

The United Civil Party understands that today there are no elections in Belarus. But we have nominated and will continue to put forward our candidates so that more and more people will find out that there is a program called “Million New Jobs,” which can really increase the country's well-being in a matter of years. There is nothing complicated in the program itself.

For the economy to grow, investments are needed, as well as property protection and freedom of personal initiative. The people must understand that without real elections it is impossible to deprive the authorities of people who have completely discredited themselves over the past quarter century. We must make them recall the Constitution and the article on the will of the people, we must choose for ourselves those whom we trust to govern the country. We must make everyone respect our choice, and learn how to defend it.