Aleksander Kwasniewski: Sooner Or Later Belarusians Are to Demand More Freedom and Democracy :: Charter'97 :: News

“Belarus is a completely different country, but I am convinced that in Belarus people sooner or later would demand more freedom and democracy. There is no alternative to civil society now. In the 21st century the concept of a centralized, dictator’s power is outdated,” told Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski in his interview to Austrian newspaper “Die Presse”. “The history teaches us that the oppressed society once is to awaken and demand freedom. It is a question of time, and it is impossible to predict the moment. Would it happen this year, in 2006, or later? If not, the catastrophe could occur. But nobody wants that”.

However, according to the Polish president, Russian policy is a fundamental factor in Belarus. “If Moscow would not support any changes in the political landscape of Belarus, the process could take a lot of time. Nevertheless, this process could not be escaped, as in a globalize world it is impossible to be isolated from democracy for a long time,” Kwasniewski believes.