Boycott 2015 is continuation of Square 2010

Smart defence will help exhaust the enemy and launch an offensive.

Belarus used to have elections, both parliamentary and presidential ones. Belarus even used to be a parliamentary republic. But the party nomenclature wanted more, so it amended the Constitution and introduced presidential power in Belarus. Lukashenka came to power to immediately start the elimination of the election institution.

He formed a special team for that task. Elections in Belarus disappeared.

The main aim of the “presidential elections” is to obtain legitimacy in the West. Russian money is not enough to stay afloat. Lukashenka doesn't care about the West, but it has money and investments without which the regime may collapse. Legitimacy is needed to get this money, so, he has to hold “elections”.

The dictator thought in 2010 he was the winner. He thought the opposition was killed and suppressed, and the West was ready to finance his “harvest festivals”. But the people of Belarus didn't think so. People supported the alternative to the dictatorial regime and came to the Square to say no to the criminal authorities. Scared Lukashenka fled to a bunker and commanded the dispersal of a peaceful rally from there. Having launched unprecedented for modern Belarus repressions, he retained the power, but he will remain scared for the rest of his rule. The courage of the people who took to streets in severe frost, the solidarity of citizens of our country and our clear intention to change our life, to get rid of the dictatorship left no doubt that the future of Belarus has no relation to the Lukashenka regime.

The dictator understood well the importance of Square 2010 and began to do his best to discredit both the protests and its participants. Unfortunately, a part of the opposition, which all of a sudden began to sprinkle ashed upon their heads and downplay the importance of 19 December 2010, began to help him. This is what Lukashenka needs: obedient opposition and absence of protests.

It seems to him he is about to fulfil his ultimate dream of suppressing everything in Belarus and starting business with the West without being distracted by such trivia as human rights. The task is almost completed: he just needs to create the appearance of the electoral process at the 2015 “elections”, this time under full control of secret services, to please OSCE observers, not to allow even a hint at protests (he is doing well – most of prospective candidates gave up the idea of street protests), and the trick is done.

It seems to him so. But it will not happen. We cannot allow it. We do not have the right to forget. We are not allowed to forget the political prisoners who have been suffering in jails since the latest elections, all the more so as their number has increased this year. We are not allowed to forget that criminal actions by the authorities against peaceful protesters at the latest “elections” haven't been investigated.

The dictator has been waging war on the people of Belarus for many years, but his has no forces behind him. He has only violence. Like in any war, we need to act according to the situation. If there is an opportunity, we should attack, which was done in 2010. If there are no opportunities for an offensive, we should stand on the defensive. Smart defence allows exhausting the enemy and proceeding to an effective offensive. With any tactic, we must do our best to disrupt plans of the dictatorship. The aim of Lukashenka is to gain the international legitimacy. Only a boycott of the “elections” can hinder his aim. This is what the dictator fears most of all.

In 2010, the Square protests that gathered many thousands disrupted the plans of the “last dictatorship of Europe” to be recognised. Let empty polling stations on the voting day disrupt them this year. We have the will and we have Belarus.

The boycott 2015 will be a continuation of the Square 2010.

Andrei Sannikov, leader of European Belarus civil campaign, specially for charter97.orgWe are not allowed to forget that we have a different future where pro-Russian Lukashenka and his camarilla have no place.

The dictator has been waging war on the people of Belarus for many years, but his has no forces behind him. He has only violence. Like in any war, we need to act according to the situation. If there is an opportunity, we should attack, which was done in 2010. If there are no opportunities for an offensive, we should stand on the defensive. Smart defence allows exhausting the enemy and proceeding to an effective offensive. With any tactic, we must do our best to disrupt plans of the dictatorship. The aim of Lukashenka is to gain the international legitimacy. Only a boycott of the “elections” can hinder his aim. This is what the dictator fears most of all.

In 2010, the Square protests that gathered many thousands disrupted the plans of the “last dictatorship of Europe” to be recognised. Let empty polling stations on the voting day disrupt them this year. We have the will and we have Belarus.

The boycott 2015 will be a continuation of the Square 2010.

Andrei Sannikov, leader of European Belarus civil campaign, specially for charter97.org