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Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko has recently shown his willingness to speak up. He seems to feel increasingly under pressure.
The water cannons repeatedly sprayed yellow water on the crowd in the center of Minsk city, and protesters tried to protect themselves with umbrellas. On Sunday, the Belarusian government was more brutal than ever: according to the civil rights portal Vyasna, a total of 625 protesters were arrested, many of them beaten.
However, two months after Lukashenko’s questionable victory in the presidential election, optimism is growing among his opponents. “His entire state is whistling for the last hole,” announced former Culture Minister Pavel Latuschko. In fact, Lukashenko’s autocracy seems to be crumbling. On Sunday night, two opposition prisoners, businessmen Yuri Voskresenki and Dmitri Rabzewitsch, were released under house arrest. The two had attended an extraordinary meeting the day before in the Minsk remand prison of the KGB State Security Service. Lukashenko assembled eleven political prisoners there, including staunch opponents such as former presidential candidates Viktor Babariko and Sergei Tichanowski. The Telegram channel loyal to the regime Pul Pervogo showed 37 seconds of the conversation, Lukashenko was the only one who spoke, apparently he was discussing a constitutional reform.
“Just hypocrisy”
The critical part of the Belarusian public reacted skeptically to so much demonstrative concession on the part of the ruler. “This is exactly how Lukashenko envisions a political roundtable,” scoffs liberal-conservative politician Alexei Yanukevich. “Everyone can express their opinion and then go to the cell.” After the massive baton attacks on Sunday, many Belarusians view Lukashenko’s new willingness to speak as even more hypocritical. But the prevailing opinion is that the dictator hesitates. “It is incapable of honest negotiations on an equal footing,” says TI editor Dmitri Navoscha. “With such tactical maneuvers, you try to create the appearance of a willingness to compromise.” But Lukashenko’s position is actually deteriorating noticeably, the West does not recognize him, economic problems are growing, and the gap with his own people can no longer be closed. “The protests are having an effect,” says activist Yevgeny Medvedev. “Lukashenko is under increasing pressure!” The International Monetary Fund expects Belarus to grow six percent this year. And in Luxembourg, the EU’s foreign ministers, Lukashenko, yesterday threatened personal sanctions.
Yesterday there were new protests in Minsk. And Belarusian political scientists speculate whether the mood of Lukashenko’s officials, especially in his security apparatus, is turning against him.
Article of
Stefan scholl
