Boycott has already taken place
- Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, civil campaign “European Belarus”
- 3.09.2008, 17:48
Certainly, there would be a semblance of “voting”. Students, military men, collective farmers, patients of hospitals and many others will be driven to take part in early vote under a threat of expelling form the apartment, punishment, dismissal…
There will be many changes of scene, hysterically happy participants of the “vote” would be demonstrated on the state TV, with loud Kobzon songs and hoarse appeals to perform one’s citizen’s obligation from trucks with megaphones. Then CIS observers will talk memorized nonsense about “record-breaking turnout and compliance to the highest standards”, writes the activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus”.
But the main outcome of the elections is already known. This election is not interesting for Belarusians, and the “chamber of representatives” does not interest Belarusians either. The Belarusians do not discuss these elections; do not debate on their political views in the public transport or at their kitchens. Most of my acquaintance do not know and do not want to know that in less than a month “general elections” will take place to the “highest representative and legislative body”. According to opposition activists, people learn about the upcoming elections only from collectors of signatures or from advocates of the boycott, and immediately forget about this even, which is not interesting for them at all.
This phenomenon is not a result of some political campaign. It is an indication of the regime’s bankruptcy. A poll carried out by “Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus” at its website is illustrative. More than 93% of respondents said they do not know the name of their “deputy”. The current electoral campaign has beaten the record of low activity. In at least 8 election districts there would be non-alternative elections.
The Belarusian regime was approaching this unfortunate result long and insistently. And it is rather logical, that people are not interested in the state body which for at least 12 years works no more than a decoration. Members of the “chamber of representatives” are appointed from among the most obedient. They are openly having a cat-nap at the sessions, waking only to vote unanimously, and get rater good salaries for that. By the way, members of the “chamber” receive their salary from the presidential administration. This fact taken alone is enough to doubt the existence of an independent legislative power of Belarus. Do our democrats want to stand in a queue to the presidential administration’s pay office for a salary?
In this situation the position of political parties is absolutely incomprehensible for me. Initially the parties avoided a public discussion on advisability of participation in the elections. The decision in fact was adopted behind the scenes of politics by the five parties without consultations with the civil society. Initially party leaders made statements about their non-participation in the elections if changes to the electoral code won’t be made, which caused respect. Then they demanded to include representatives of the opposition to precinct election commissions… Every demand of political parties was spat upon by the CEC, and the law-enforcing agencies intensified repressions.
On August 31 the Political Council of the United Democratic Forces adopted a statement which couldn’t be called in other way but the final warning. The decision to withdraw from the “elections” was postponed once again, until September 21 this time. It is interesting to know, how many opposition activists are to come through arrests and battery, how many people more are to be dismissed, for the party leaders to understand where they live?!
Adherents of the boycott are charged with adolescent maximalism. What could be said then about the decision of Stanislau Bahdankevich to withdraw from the vote? Do the UCP members doubt wisdom of their honorary chairman and the former chairman of the National Bank? Undoubtedly, the decision to withdraw is hard to make, especially after a serious work was done in one’s constituency. But every step demands resoluteness and responsibility.
The decision of the Belarusian Popular Front party which obliged all its candidates to withdraw before September 23, and until then to use opportunities of the “elections campaign” to tell about the necessity of the boycott and of the protest rally on September 28, causes respect. The responsibility for their supporters and for the country has been also demonstrated by the United Democratic Forces of Homel region. They have withdrawn their candidates and representatives from the CEC.
Nevertheless, the UDF have adopted a decision to continue participation in the “elections”. This decision was primarily voted for by the Party of Communists of Belarus, the Labour party, the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Hramada), the Women’s party “Nadzeya”. Earlier Alyaksandr Milinkevich came out against the boycott, though neither he nor members of his movement are taking part in the “elections” officially. It is deplorable that the recent candidate for presidency shares the viewpoint of the Communists’ leader Syarhei Kalyakin.
I will be objected by the habitual mantra that “any possibility should be used to get one’s message across to people”. But today not a recognition of the “chamber”, but recognition of the regime and the future of our country are at stake. By your participation in the electoral farce, you are drawing nearer the transformation of Belarus into a country of Latin America. And if the parties would continue participation in the “elections”, they would be able to demonstrate people only their irresponsibility.