Zyanon Paznyak: “As long as Lukashenka’s regime exists, no liberalisation to take place”
- 24.02.2009, 9:57
The chairman of the Conservative Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front Zyanon Paznyak has expressed his opinion about the visits of the representatives of the European Union to Belarus:
“The most important visit of an EU representative to Belarus was Javier Solana’s visit, and it is connected primarily with the issue of Lukashenka’s invitation to Prague,” Zyanon Paznyak said to Radio Svaboda. “In Minsk Solana was looking for minimal arguments in favour of this invitation to justify it. We see the typical pragmatic policy on the part of the European Union. It was like this all the time, but now they have unveiled democratic camouflage from it and started talking directly to the dictator”.
According to the chairman of the Conservative Christian party Belarusian Popular Front, in the context of the geopolitics, cooperation with Europe and participation in Eastern Partnership are beneficial and needed for belatus.
“But unfortunately it is not out political line, it isn’t conducted by us,” Zyanon Paznyak noted. “It is a policy of Europe, which is conducted by them suiting their convenience, at the cost of our national interests. We shall pay a very heavy price for this policy. So far it looks like this. It is not coincidence that many Belarusians an associate that with Munich -1938. Then Austria was sacrificed to placate Hitler. And now, to ensure their interests, they surrender democracy in Belarus, closing their eyes to the things the regime in Belarus is doing”.
Zyanon Paznyak believes that invitation of Lukashenka to Prague would mean Europe’s acceptance of dictator’s repressions.
“That would mean that Europe has agreed with repressions and ethnocide, with arrests and trials for using Belarusian language, with police’s assailing the flat of the former deputy of the Supreme Soviet Aksamit and sacking archive of a deputy; with arrests in Vaukavysk, with beating up young people in Minsk and so on,” the politician said. “It would be a sign for Lukashenka that yes, it is acceptable, and that does not prevent Europe from cooperating wit the regime. It is Chamberlain-style policy. But Belarusians are to blame for this state of affairs in the first place. Our society as a whole does not show conscious will for struggle for its interests, honour and dignity. That is why Solana can disregard us in his orchestral score. This situation should be changed, and there is hope that we shall change that. As for Lukashenka in Europe, as far as I know him, at some stage the affair would and with a scandal and Lukashenka’s philippics against the West”.
According to Paznyak, no “liberalisation” is taking place in Belarus.
“There is no liberalisation,” the chairman of the Conservative Christian party Belarusian Popular Front says. “On the contrary, now Lukashenka has started to pursue harsher policy towards the young people, and recent arrests and batteries are confirming that. He knows perfectly well that the rapprochement policy is carried out by Europe, Europe needs it, and he wants to come to this Europe with his repressive past. He wants to be recognized, for that to become a norm. In fact, Europe closes eyes to the policy of the regime, to our national interests, to extermination of our language and human rights violations for the sake of its geopolitical interests. But I repeat that the problem is not in Europe, the problem is in us, that our society has lost will for struggle at this stage. We should regain this will. And as long as the regime exists, there would be no liberalisation. It is an anti-national, anti-Belarusian regime, and all its interest is to stay in power. That’s the essence of its policy of balancing between Europe and Moscow”.