Actor Aleh Harbuz: Every Third Person Will Surely Take to the Square

The wave will be strong.

Actor of Kupala Theater Aleh Harbuz talks about "elections" and offers Lukashenka two options during the interview to Radio Svaboda.

"26 years in power is much. He will not resign on his own. He's like a drug addict who's going to have withdrawals: he'll do anything to get another dose of power. I have never used drugs, but I know what happens. It's like a chemical process in the body. A reasonable person may realize that it's time to stop. But physically, he can't do it.

According to him, now the country is good only for only one person - the current ruler, who is afraid to leave power. The actor believes that he just needs to guarantee that there will be no persecution. As a man, with a good sense of humour, he offers Lukashenka two options.

"I would offer the head of state two options. The first one is to crown himself. For everyone to know: it will be like that until I die. Everybody would accept it and wait.

The second option: he has two planes. He could gather his relatives, entourage, collect money. He would fly to a warm country where he has friends! He could travel the world, give lectures.

I'd ask people not to follow him. I don't think his older children are very ambitious. The youngest one, Mikalai Aliaksandravich, is a bright person. He is reasonable and can find his way in life without this political mess.

We would start from scratch. We will survive", says Aleh Harbuz.

The government was not ready for the fact that people did not appreciate them. The authorities did not expect such activity of candidates or mass protests, Aleh Harbuz said.

"However, they need to find some way out. For us and the authorities. After all, no normal person can like what's happening in the country right now. I don't think the authorities like it. They just don't know how to handle this problem properly.

The imprisonment of Viktar Babaryka caused an emotional explosion. This is political persecution. When they say about damaging information; we are perfectly aware of the order given. Who is going to believe that there was anything?

I think the people who fulfil orders do not like them either. However, they agreed to do it. I'm not justifying them. Someone chooses to torture someone, others make another way. That's freedom of choice. They chose this path.

If nothing drastically changes in these people's minds, they will act even tougher. Then the clean-up will begin. I don't know how people will react. I am an emotional person and may fight back", says actor Aleh Harbuz.

He says he is going to vote on August 9. The last time he voted was back in 1994. He voted for Shushkevich. Answering the question asked whether the Belarusian people would take to the square if the elections were unfair, he says as follows:

"I don't know. It seems that we are already on the verge. Some people did not like the situation. Now we know there's a lot of people like that.

Whether people will take to the square depends on how the relationship between the government and the people develops. If the authorities manage to avoid such acute moments, if they carefully follow this path and do not cause a huge wave of indignation, it can be preserved. If not, people will take to the streets. Every third person will come for sure. It will be a great wave," said the actor.