Leanid Zaika: “We don’t need the democracy Russia has”
- 4.12.2007, 15:00
A director of the analytical center “Strategy” Leanid Zaika has commented on the results of the parliamentary elections in Russia, and their possible influence on Belarusian-Russian relations.
- What is your assessment of the parliamentary elections in Russia?
- Two things could be noted here: either a strong center is being formed in Russia, or representatives of the party and industrial nomenklatura who have stopped democratization of the society, have rallied into a ruling party.
- How the results of the election will influence the Belarusian-Russian relations?
- It seems that Belarusian-Russian relations will not change for the present. The regime in Russia will play according to normal rules of a great-power, egoistic country as before. As for Lukashenka, he felt and understood that things like this could happen, that is why nothing would change on his part. The same unintelligible half-suffocated integration with strange people with obscure objectives. Only gas tariffs, export dues for oil are to change. And new reassurances on unification of Belarus and Russia are to be pronounced, though the today’s Belarusian elite doesn’t want this union.
- What lessons could be drawn by the Belarusian democratic community from the events in Russia?
- The main thing is that Russia is not proceeding to creation of a democratic, market model of development. I think that Belarusian politicians and political analysts have felt that already judging by the game in the run-up to the election, that is why they will be careful in their appeals to Russia. Many Belarusian politicians, from the United Civil Party, the Party of the Communists of Belarus (except the Belarusian Popular Front certainly) are to continue to address Moscow and look for support among influential politicians, but these are to be actions based on inner non-confidence. There is one more important factor. Against the background of these events an idea that the European variant of development is more promising for Belarus if we want to form a full-fledged democratic society, would gain a foothold, since we do not need such reforms as Russia has, and the kind of democracy Russia has.