Valer Bulhakau: Victory of Ukrainians will be a colossal impulse for Belarusians

Events in Ukraine are a nightmare for the Lukashenka regime.

The opinion came from a historian, political scientist Valer Bulhakau as he commented for the charter97.org web-site on the latest events in Kiev.

“Society, inside Ukraine and abroad alike, yet again saw the incapacity of the people in power. Beyond doubt, this spinelessness, facelessness and the inability to make political decisions, when the situation requires, will be a strong blow, which will make Yanukovych’s reelection impossible”, - he believes.

The expert is convinced that “the victory of Ukrainians will of course be a colossal impulse for Belarusians too”.

“It is not by accident that Lukashenka define the Ukrainian events as a catastrophe and nightmare. Because exactly what is going on now in Ukraine is he Belarusian regime’s nightmare. Beyond doubt, the Ukrainian situation is qualitatively different, because Ukrainians were able to win over the system since the beginning of independence in 1991. I will remind of the mass student strikes that took place in Kiev in late 1980-s – early 1990-s, which, for example, led to the resignation of Masol’s government in 1991. Nevertheless, this movement unambiguously shows the perspective that hangs upon Belarus, if we assume that this national democratic vector of the country’s development takes the lead. Current Ukrainian events also show the sadism and inadequacy of the authorities in Belarus, which without blinking sent thousands riot policemen against peaceful unarmed people in the night after the presidential elections of 19 December 2010, and over 40 people were criminally charged”, - Valer Bulhakau emphasized.

The political scientist pointed out that if the bureaucracy-authoritarian logic is used, hundreds of people can be criminally charged in Ukraine.

“But this all is not happening and this shows that the very system of authorities and judiciary are not controlled from the bottom in Belarus, but only from the top. That is why that is happening now in Ukraine is a confrontation that should not be described in terms of a civil war or a riot. This is an uprising of the civil society in the context of peaceful protest. The very model logically brings the parallels with what took place, for example, in Serbia in 2000, when the resignation of Slobodan Miloshevich happened. This means long-term, multi-month protests that paralyze the state machine and make inevitable the country’s democratic transition. Whether the Yanukovych regime falls tomorrow or not is an open question. I would not want to make any predictions, but I deeply believe that the reelection of Mr. Yanukovych or accession to the throne of a person similar to him in terms of political views is impossible”, - Valer Bulhakau concluded.

Anti-government protests have been going on for over two months in Ukraine. On 22 January the most serious clashes took place between the protesters and special police forces. Another cleansing attempt took place in Hrushevskoho Street in Kiev. Riot police and interior troops attacked the barricades, erected by the protesters. The Special Forces went beyond the line of the busses, burnt two days before. The people tried to escape, but the troops chased them and beat up.

As a result of the clashes at least three people were killed, several hundred wounded. Two protesters, among whom there is a Belarusian Mikhail Zhyznieuski, were shot by riot police. One was thrown off the stadium colonnade by riot police and died in resuscitation department.