Pro-Russian forces in Belarus face difficult times

The presidential elections in Belarus are coming to an end. The preliminary voting is already in its fourth day, tomorrow will be the “day of silence,” when any campaigning is prohibited and it is better to remain silent about your electoral preferences, and the day after tomorrow will be the main voting day.

So I’ll take this last opportunity and explain my position on the elections, over which half of the pro-Russian crowd quarreled.

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I do not support and do not intend to support any of the candidates. There are no people of our own for us, oriented toward alliance and friendship with Russia, in these elections. I know that some had illusions about Lukashenko, but I think over the last month he managed to dispel such illusions among the majority.

There are now two main candidates in Belarus. The first is an authoritarian ruler who is now behaving unpredictably, leading the dirtiest election campaign in Belarusian history, thereby destabilizing the situation in the country.

None other than Lukashenko has completely quarreled with Russia and filled the information space with anti-Russian “conspiracy theories”, not much different from those of the nationalists. As a result of the conflict, the Belarusian economy is already suffering billions of losses and its prospects are bleak.

Now, from the point of view of the interests of the pro-Russian movement, he is no better than the same nationalists. The second candidate is a completely random person and incompetent in politics, but surrounded by a large number of nationalists, but promising re-elections in six months. Also a serious risk.

In general, Belarusians have a choice of two evils, but I consider it unacceptable for myself to even agitate for an evil that seems lesser to me, not to mention making a scandal and imposing my opinion on someone. Such a choice (or refusal to choose at all) should be a matter of personal conscience for everyone.

It is the height of naivety to count on the fact that, having been re-elected for a sixth term, Lukashenko will return to the same positions he was in before. It will no longer be the way it was.

Previously, he was very wary of any public activity beyond his control aimed at bringing Belarus and Russia closer together, and now we may even be faced with a full-fledged “witch hunt” and attempts to force everyone who sympathizes with Russia and is committed to integration into the official “Eurasian” and “anti-oligarchic” discourse. Supposedly, of course, we are for an alliance with Russia, but now there is an evil Putin and greedy oligarchs there. If there is something that suits us, then yes, of course.

The essence of this discourse is to find a harmonious justification for refusing integration with all that it entails. The position of the Belarusian “anti-oligarchists” can be imagined as follows. The bride of marriageable age is sitting. Not too beautiful, not at all rich, and even with a bad character. Sits and waits for the prince. He sits and the years go by. And what’s most interesting is that there is a prince nearby and he doesn’t even mind. But our girl, along with the prince, also wants half the kingdom, and when she realizes that she won’t get half the kingdom, she gets offended and creates a scandal for the whole world.

Do you want to be like this girl? Then welcome to Lukashenko’s side. You will have access to the media, government support and ridicule from others. Do you want to remain yourself and not trade your conscience? Get ready to be in opposition. In modern Belarus this is unpleasant, and it will be even more unpleasant. And Lukashenko’s current support in the elections will not count; he will have to agree every time something comes into his head.

That's why I don't support anyone in these elections. Now is not the time for us to quarrel, defending candidates alien to us. The time that comes after the elections will not be easy in any case. And at this time we will need the unity that we are now so incompetently destroying.