Whose interests Stuzhynskaya is guarding?

Strange news could be read at oppositional websites now.

I mean information about a compassionate initiative of the leader of the Office for Democratic Belarus Volha Stuzhynskaya, who calls upon lifting sanctions of the EU against a group of Belarusian officials and businessmen. If such an initiative would have been voiced as a bargaining chip in the negotiations for release of political prisoners, we would only applaud to sagacity and wisdom of its author, who had finally detected the chink in armour of the dictatorship. But there is not a word about that. As excuses, some obscure reasoning about low effectiveness of these sanctions is heard, and even more obscure forecasts of democracy thriving as a result of lifting the sanctions.

One could certainly write it off to girlish naivety, and confine ourselves to light criticism, but this girl has presented this initiative in the European Parliament today, and very serious grown-ups were to listen to her. They seriously believe that this charming child is a mouthpiece of the entire democratic community of Belarus. Who could doubt pseudo-activities of the office situated in the heart of the European Union, in Brussels, not in some remote place, and which is far from being supported by personal means of Stuzhynskis family only.

I would not comment on this information item, if it were not for serious doubts I have. Such an initiative could not come all by itself even to such a bright head as Volha Stuzhynskaya’s. And the reason for that was a name of a person who had appeared on the list of prominent scientists, who are hindered by the isolation to develop the nation science. The name of this person is Peftiev.

He is the richest and most influential person in the president’s entourage. What relation does he bear to science, and to officials at all, only Stuzhynskaya may know. Unfortunately, I am under a promise to some of my colleagues, and I cannot offer documentary pictures in the article which could characterize activities of this “scientist”, as a result of which personal purse of the powers that be, who are members of Lukashenka’s entourage, increased by millions and millions of dollars. I can say just one thing. A former omnipotent Minister of the Interior Navumau broke his neck exactly when he wanted to demonstrate Peftiev had too much influence on the presidential entourage. He was able to triumph even over Sheiman, who was more powerful, and could not outwit Peftiev. Lukashenka didn’t listen to his warnings. And between Navumau and Peftiev he had chosen the latter.

When I saw his name on the list, it became absolutely clear that the rest 24 workers of culture and men of science “suffering from isolation’ are nothing more than a cover-up for whitewashing and rehabilitation of the president’s purse. Maybe now the daughter of the Belarusian democracy would understand better whom she is standing for, wouldn’t she? And she should also explain who had put such an idea before her, what sum had been paid for that, and who else was taking part in writing that list? I hope these questions would be asked to her by leaders of oppositional structures as well.

Aleh Alkaeu