Cockroach Race in the Home Stretch

He could have resigned as Europe's last dictator, not a cockroach.

It's the first time when Sasha 3% has lost with such a deafening sound. It is so loud. The whole world can hear it. When the evening noise of our cities joins in, these evil and joyful decibels sound like an accompaniment. To this accompaniment, the system that has been built for a quarter of a century goes for a burton.

Don't tell me that Sasha 3% used to win and only now he's lost. No, he didn't. Victory is joy, triumph, plans, meetings, congratulations of relatives, associates, partners, strangers. The fear that cries "fire!" is not a victory at all. All the personnel of special forces vs. peaceful demonstrators is not a victory at all. Bulldozers destroying the tent camp are not a victory at all. An empty city with a gloomy and silent cortege heading for the inauguration is everything but a victory. Opponents arrested on an election day cannot contribute to his triumph. On the contrary, being captured in their cells of stone, they remain witnesses of his defeat. To make them the only one who can see this. However, everybody knows. The whole world knows.

Have you noticed that no one has congratulated him on his victory for the last fifteen years? I do not mean some world outsiders. They did it only to get congratulations back when they act the same. It's just a standard barter. However, there were no congratulations on winning. Even Russia's former president, Dmitry Medvedev, got away with it ten years ago and sent "congratulations on the completion of the vote count". Note that no one believed in his victory, but the whole world immediately believed in three per cent. Even when many years pass, and he will be released on amnesty or parole, his nickname will remain. In the morning, a neighbour will knock on the window: "Hey, three per cent, do you have any salt?" The policeman will come in the evening: "Do not violate the regime, three per cent. Administrative supervision is a serious thing." A mobile shop arrives "Three per cent, did you ask to bring sausages?" No axe can cut it out.

That's not the worst nickname, by the way. Not a murderer or tyrant or killer, just three per cent. It's a peaceful nickname. Three per cent is, if you please, two hundred thousand people. It's the population of Babruisk or Baranavichy. There's something to be proud of: "I've been abusing you for a quarter of a century, and I still have three per cent support. Although, it is a bitter thing to know that long ago, back in the twentieth century, the whole country voted for you, and now there are only Baranavichy or Babruisk left. Although even these people are rapidly turning into Drahichyn or Dzerechyn. You are to blame; there was a chance to resign with 30%. Or even 40. You should've seized the moment and skip along. Now it's too late.

The difference is that Sasha 3% used to lose after the elections. In 2006, when Oktyabrskaya turned into Kalinowski Square, and the tent camp on the square became the major force in the country. It was the place people were heading to after work in the evenings or arrived at lunch breaks, or just brought warm clothes, food, and drinking water. He lost four days later when the riot police and bulldozers arrived at night. When the first ones grabbed people in the tent camp and threw them into paddy wagons, the latter bulldozed them.

In 2010, he lost not after, but on the election day. The defeat was so hurting and abusing that the riot police rushed to disperse people and presidential candidates before the election polls were closed. But it's the first time when he loses long before the elections, during the signatures collection campaign. This is the most stunning failure one can imagine.

He could have resigned in 2006. Then there would have been nothing offensive or humiliating. He would have resigned as "the last dictator of Europe" - it sounds monumental! There would be neither "it's time to change the bald tires" nor "stop the cockroach" or "Sasha 3%". Well, now there are no options. Three per cent is slowly melting in the air. He may resign being a goose egg.

Iryna Khalip, especially for Charter97.org

If you like this article, you can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL 97 1160 2202 0000 0002 1671 1123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com