Have Minsk Dwellers Heard that Milinkevich Addressed Lukashenka with Open Letter? :: Charter'97 :: News

Have you heard that Alyaksandr Milinkevich had approached Alyaksandr Lukashenka with an open letter with an offer to open a dialogue? And what is your attitude towards that? Radio Svaboda has addressed this question to people in the streets of Minsk.

A man: “Yes, I have heard that”.

A reporter: “And what is your attitude towards that?”

A man: “My attitude is positive. I think that there is a possibility for that. The chances are slim, but they exist. The reason is that Lukashenka is in none too good a plight. That is why possibly to improve relations with the West he could be driven to have a dialogue with opposition”.

A woman: “No, I haven’t heard about that”.

A young man: “No, I haven’t”.

A man: “I approve of it. Lukashenka should talk with opposition”.

A man: “We have said our word on March 19. Milinkevich is getting awards. It’s better for him to work in Belarus, and not abroad”.

A woman: “I like it. Let them talk. But I do not know what would follow, what policy would be chosen”.

A young man: “I have heard something, but I do not know who and with whom [will talk] and what the aim it”.

A man: “One should know what kind of person Lukashenka is. I am convinced that it is impossible. He reminds Josip Broz Tito, who was trying to be everywhere, but at the same time he was meditating mischief. That is why he would not have success either in the East or in the West”.

A woman: “I haven’t heard anything”.

A reporter: “What do you think about possible negotiations of the regime with the opposition?”

A woman: “It is always useful to try”.

A boy: “Let them talk. It is always worthwhile to talk. It is possible that they would find common language. A dialogue is always valuable”.

A man: “I do not care about politics. It is all the same to me”.

A man: “Talks are impossible essentially, because clever people can always find understanding.”

A girl: “First I’ve heard of it. I do not know”.

A reporter: “Have you heard that a former candidate for presidency Alyaksandr Milinkevich had sent an open letter to Alyaksandr Lukashenka and offered to open a dialogue?”

A man: “No, I do not know about that”.

A reporter: “Do you believe negotiations of the regime with the opposition are possible?”

A man: “I think it is impossible. The practice has showed that”.

A woman: “I haven’t heard that. I am a supporter of Lukashenka, that is why I think it depends on our authorities”.

A man: “I think a dialogue is unnecessary. I am pleased with our president”.

A girl: “I am not sure that the president is ready to start a round-table discussion, he has his own position. I am not sure that the West is ready to accept us with our president, with such political regime”.

A woman: “I do not believe in these talks”.

A man: “A dialogue is always solving some problems between people. Only owing to a dialogue we have a possibility to tell about our perception of processes in the society”.