Show on Oktyabrskaya Square 11:05, 05/07/2002, Valery Schukin, “Narodnaya Volya”
On July 3, 2002 on the Oktyabrskaya square of Minsk the authorities demonstrated a combination of various activities, different as to their emotional influence on a person. The circus tricks with guns are a wonderful political and pre-election performance, but showing this during the parade… I dedicated more than a quarter of the century to the armed forces and believe that the Belarusian authorities pursued political goals and mocked over the feelings of the enlisted personnel and reserve officers alike.
However, they insulted not only the military. They demonstratively humiliated the Lithuanians, for the parade was held under the command of Vladimir Ushopchik. The one and the same general, whom our neighbors accuse of bloodshed, which occurred not without his consent in Vilnius, when Lithuania fought for independence. While the Lithuanian procuracy keeps summoning him to interrogation, the general “rides the white horse” along Minsk main avenue…
The Lithuanian embassy, which I addressed the next day, seemed not to have recovered from shock. I assume, it is due to this very reason that the polite Lithuanian diplomats declined to comment on the situation to the press.
I’ve no idea how can one interpret the empty spot on the tribune between Lukashenko and Maltsev, where the head of the government Novitsky was supposed to sit. Is he already excluded from the list of dignitaries? They say he left for vacation. But on the day of the main state holiday the Premier never leaves his homeland in other countries.
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