Valyantsin Holubeu: Official symbols are opposed to national ones

It’s immoral to prohibit white-red-white flag and force to use a red-green one.

On Tuesday, June 23, while amendments to the law on state symbols was discussed by the “council of republic”, one of the “MPs”, a member of the standing committee on economy, budget and finances Barys Batura brought up an issue that hanging a state flag on a private house on the days of state holidays could be made obligatory.

This statement of the state official is commented for charter97.org by a deputy of the Supreme Council of Belarus of the 12th convocation, Doctor of Historical Sciences, a Senior Research Scientist of the Institute of History of the Academy of Science of Belarus Valyantsin Holubeu.

- As a historian and politician, how would you estimate such a statement?

- In general, to force to use symbols, and to ban symbols is not a normal thing. It is better to carry out such a state policy that people would like to be proud of state symbols. My personal opinion is, it could result in situation when state symbols of Belarus would be set against national symbols even more. When people are not granted a right to use national symbols freely, and at the same time they would be compelled to use official symbols, it is not proper in moral sense, to put it mildly.

- And what if this law is to be adopted?

- I think such a law won’t be adopted. There are no such laws anywhere in the world. And despite everything, our state does not have capacities for such a total control, to pass and effectively use such a law.