Powerlessness of Our Words, but We Still Have Pretensions

Sentences consist of words, words of letters, and letters of sounds. This is the condition of many Belarusian oppositional leaders today. Their words don’t mean anything any more, as they have become a single mournful buzz..

Another terrible event happened in Belarus on November 1, 2006: an innocent person was jailed for his political activities. Referring to the words of the Head of KGB S. Sukharenka, some would say that Zmicier Dashkievich deserves it, as he is the leader of youth organization that intended to cause disorder in March 2006 in Belarusian capital Minsk during the presidential elections. At the same time, the fascists feel free in the country. No matter how they call themselves—National-Bolsheviks, RNU (Russian National Unity), or something else—those groups do not present threat to the authorities. Hence they can easily beat people, vandalize churches—those brutal acts are not against the government but people who will forget and then forgive.

 The activists of unregistered civil organization Partnership Mikalaj Astrejka and Cimafiej Dranchuk were put in prison for 2 and 1 year respectively; ex-candidate for president Aliaksandr Kazulin was jailed for 5 and half years; Zmicier Dashkievich—for a year and half…

The impression is the judges try to look just by giving 5 and half years of prison instead of 6 demanded by the prosecutor, and 1 and half instead of 2. Meantime, the opposition has a lot of pretensions and is still tears to pieces the government. If it continues to be the same way, should we yield to regime at once? There is still no use from oppositional leaders.

The entire opposition held its breath before 2007. They expect that Russia raises gas prices, and the people will wake up, and then the opposition will act. They will be so efficient that Lukashenka will get scarred and leave his post immediately. However, they do not take into account that he will jail all oppositional leaders before March 2007, and humble people will leave, according to his words, “poorly but not for a long time.” “The regime once again confessed in its powerlessness before such people as Zmicier,” said Anatol Liabiedzka, the leader of the United People’s Party. I’d like to correct this statement right away: the regime confirmed its impunity and proved the opposition’s powerlessness. EU can include Alla Bulakh, the judge who sentenced Zmicier Dashkievich in the Black List, but Dashkievich won’t be released. Anatol Liabiedzka’s words prove again that the dictator is not afraid of old politicians’ slander; he is afraid of young people who act much more efficiently.

“My first reaction to Dashkievich’s verdict was indignation by arbitrariness of the government. Later you understand that strong government does not behave like that,” said Siarhiej Kaliakin, the leader of Belarusian Party of Communists.
Mr. Kaliakin, if the government is indeed weak, maybe we should change it? I’m afraid that neither you nor Mr. Liabiedzka is right. Your words are just the assumptions that do not correspond to the reality.

Opposition parties’ leaders resemble a squeezed lemon: there is no juice in the fruit, and “leaders” have no ideas. They are exhausted, but pride not allows them to ask youth for help. I urge you to listen to young people; they are full of ideas, the most standard and trivial of which may turn into something interesting. Until you worry solely about your first place in the competition “Mister Head of United Democratic Forces,” you will be left without brains—young leaders. Young people should lead the country toward a free future. The young have prospects for future; the elders – respect, as the Soviet saying state, but we still don’t follow it.

Words, words, words... Words cure. Words hurt, but the words of unrecognized are empty. Until the country converts into the USSR of 1937, we shouldn’t be uttering words in vain.

Dzmitry Haradzienski, Minsk, October 2, 2006
Author’s opinion may not coincide with the editor’s position