Stanislau Shushkevich: You'd better ask psychiatrist about Lukashenka

The current events in Belarus are a disgrace to the mankind, a politician thinks.

“It's hard to believe that lies, dictatorship and totalitarianism that rose to an unprecedented scale in the country are possible in the civilized world today. Russia gains from the regime of Lukashenka, while Europe cannot and doesn't want to do anything besides making laud declarations,” thinks Professor Stanislau Shushkevich, the first chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus, Soviet and Belarusian politician, who signed the the Belavezha Accords on the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Shushkevich, an active member of the Belarusian opposition, gave an interview to the Russian service of TVNET.

Belarus recently had the “parliamentary elections”.  Europe didn't recognize them and European Parliament President Martin Schulz said: “"I deeply regret that parliamentary elections in Belarus have yet again failed to meet international standards of fair and transparent polls. With opposition leaders remaining imprisoned, with some opposition candidates denied registration, with the people's voice silenced, it was a mockery of a democratic ballot.” But the Belarusian Central Election Commission said the “elections” were valid…

Belarus hasn't had elections since 1996. We just have the events called “elections”, but no votes were counted. Election committees have only 1% of opposition representatives. Results are being rigged in such an impudent way that foreign observers don't even believe it is possible in the civilized world. We don't have elections. It is just a process of appointing Lukashenka regime supporters to positions.

The EP President also emphasized that the European Union should work out an effective strategy of relations with Belarus, meaning “how to firmly respond to flagrant abuses of human rights and rule of law and how to support the Belarusian people and their struggling civil society”.  There were calls to the EU Council to give the Nobel Peace Prize for the  support of the Belarusian civil society. But what particular steps can Europe make to influence the situation in your country?

Europe adopts wonderful declarations and ban some Belarusians, or I'd rather say our 100%  lowlifes, from entering the civilized world.

Europe cannot do more. All talks about sanctions against Belarus are vain. There have not been and cannot be any effective sanctions. To impose sanctions, Europe should pay. Sanctions will hit both sides, including Latvian businessmen. That's why Europe doesn't make this step.

We receive controversial information from and about your country. According to official careful and filtered information, the country develops and flourishes. The opposition on the website charter97.org and most, if not all western media show Belarus as Europe's last outpost of totalitarianism and stagnation and the country that lacks fundamental democracy and human rights. Whom should one believe?

Of course, western media are absolutely right: there are no human rights in Belarus. Even our miserable constitution is being flagrantly violated. The current events in Belarus are a disgrace to the mankind.

Lukashenka promotes his extramarital son Kolya and calls him a successor. Does Alyaksandr Lukashenka plan to remain in power until Kolya grows up?

You'd better ask a psychiatrist, not me...