Partisan extreme

One of the leaders of the Belarusian opposition, the former presidential candidate Nikolai Statkevich last Saturday, was pardoned by Alexander Lukashenko along with five other Politseks. In his first large interview with the Russian media, Statkevich talks about the boycott of the elections, the prospects of the protest movement and the attitude of Belarusians towards Russia and Putin.

- What is your view of the upcoming presidential elections?

• I have already held enough consultations with the leaders of democratic organizations that do not take part in the dance of the Lukashenko electoral circus, and we have a general assessment and position in the pre -election situation.

There is something new in the history of the elections. Once we falsified the elections with stuffing and fake the ballots. Then they began to falsify the final protocols. Now for the first time they fabricated the structure of the ballot. The number of candidates artificially included people whose whole task is to say that they were honest after the election, turn to the European community - take off the sanctions ...

Other candidates were not allowed, including through criminal prosecution, as in my case. As before, even before the start of the elections, we can say that they did not take place. They can be called worthless both legally and politically. There is no election.

We can only fight to ensure that real, democratic elections are still held in Belarus - starting from their very first stage - under popular control. I myself was artificially deprived of the opportunity to enter this electoral list. I was deliberately kept in prison until the day, until the nomination of the candidates ended. As soon as the nomination ended, they released. And I think, even the authorities did not doubt my innocence, but acted consciously and purposefully.

Statkevich's liberation: meeting in Minsk. Photo: tut.by

- Your attitude to your personal nomination to the president?

I have to participate in the elections: I have support, experience, and vision of the future Belarus.

- But the opposition will not have a relationship to the current elections in any form?

• We no longer participate, because there is no candidate representing the interests of the democratic part of society. According to our estimates, at least 30 percent of voters are in such positions. But these people are not presented in the elections. There is one unique candidate and several clowns. And we will require normal elections under international control.

I think that the civil resistance campaign for what happened can begin in the coming weeks. We are not going to wait on October 11 - the dates of the election - to protest. This date does not mean anything to me personally.

- How do you relate to the elections in society?

• Apathy, distrust of the elections was artificially created. The authorities affected their people in Belarusian democratic parties to nominate convenient candidates and support them, including resources. They used their agents so that a single candidate would not nominate.

- Do the political prisoners remain behind bars?

• I have been warning hostages for a long time. In my last word, I said: "Do not buy us. Bushing hostages, you create new ones." Before these six political prisoners could come out, new ones appeared. I mean the “graffiti” case (at least three young people were arrested in the case of inscriptions on the walls and damage to the poster in Minsk. - Ed.). That is, they, not yet having time to sell one product in our face, have already purchased the second for sale. It is humiliating to be a product. Moreover, this is not the first time with me. In 2007, I was released from "chemistry", and each next punishment was already more and more. How much will they give me next time? (Laughs) .

“Nevertheless, your plans are related to the continuation of political activity in Belarus?”

• These are not plans. This is just a continuation of activities that I have never stopped, even in a prison cell. I will just continue it in preferential conditions. There were methods of communication, although they had to fight intensely for them. Of course, I am not completely released. I have eight years of restrictions due to criminal records, eight years of preventive supervision, which in the case of three administrative violations will turn into a preventive one, and this is at least house arrest. I do not want to go back, but I'm not going to stop, because I feel responsible: there is a distrust of people in the democratic leaders who were free. And this distrust must be overcome all together. Therefore, I try to consult and look for general solutions with colleagues. Maybe this week we will enter the press conference together and declare our general fundamental position.

- That is, in Belarus there is a hope for the unity of a democratic opposition?

• Democracy is always difficult. Politicians are ambitious people, and in addition, they always "help them." Unfortunately, this is a common place for all post -Soviet countries: everyone sees around agents. In fact, they are (laughs) ) - the authorities are trying to prevent this unity, tries to use these insults, distrust, mutual competition. For example, in the election situation, it was not possible to achieve a nomination of a single candidate. One person who betrayed friends and colleagues after previous presidential elections, who spoke publicly on television. Well, who makes public meanness easily performs a secret. I mean a person who stands behind a candidate supported by the Belarusian Popular Front, and participates in this dance.

- Who do you mean?

• In Belarus, he knows. (We are talking about Andrei Dmitriev, the leader of the campaign "Talk to the truth!", Which supports presidential candidate Tatyana Korotkevich. - Ed.)

- During the time that passed from your arrest, the situation in the post -Soviet space has changed dramatically. Maidan, Crimea, war ... How does this affect the situation in Belarus?

• Of course, it affects. Firstly, we are limited in the instruments of a democratic opposition. After all, we were not left by real political instruments except street. The elections have long been a farce: they don’t even consider votes, they only write protocols ... We have a street, but we are forced to be careful, because no one wants such a fate as Ukraine, of course, no one. I always say that there is a Maidan, and we have a square. We have never seen enemies in these children dressed in military uniform. But our protest is peaceful not only because we are afraid of foreign intervention. This is our position: we do not want war. We want order in our house and do not want to destroy it.

The second: here Lukashenko showed himself as a good diplomat, and used this situation in order, firstly, to weaken the pressure of Russia through integration associations and essentially nullify all these unions, and the other side to establish relations with the European Union. Unfortunately, in domestic politics and especially in the economy, he, as the chairman of the collective farm, remained. And now we are observing this: Russian subsidies reach 20% of GDP. Where else in the world they feed this way? (Laughs) .

Citizens of the country are also afraid of all this. When they tell me that the square is impossible, I say it is not true. I want to recall one square in 1968, in connection with the occupation of Czechoslovakia. Seven people came to her ...

- Today is the anniversary ...

• Yes! We know, and remember, and are proud of these people who saved our honor. My tremendous respect for these people: to some extent, they influenced my fate, because the ideals do not apply to words, but deeds. If there is no action behind the ideal, then it dies very quickly, and words remain.

- What are you waiting for - or are you afraid from the Russian government in relation to Belarus?

• Firstly, what would we expect from Russia: normal, actually fraternal relations. Do not keep on a leash and not let it go somewhere. We ourselves will not go anywhere and will take into account your interests if you respect our interests. And we will take into account your wishes. And still Russia should not be focused on illegal power, because it even brewed the cover of this boiler, but it will tear sooner or later.

Why are we afraid? You know, there are no fair borders in Europe at all. Some side disputes any border. But after all, they agreed after that terrible war - not to touch the borders. And after the borders were touched, they untied the bag with a genie - of course, we are just afraid that this can happen to us. This fear is present in our society.

- Another political prisoner, Igor Olenevich, who was released at the same time, told us that there was a mood in the philistine environment: if they see Russian tanks on the streets of Minsk, they may be happy.

• I think this is not so, at least sociologists say the opposite. In prison, I studied sociological data and I remember something. Yes, the majority supports Russia's position in the Crimea, if I am not mistaken, 60 percent. But this is a completely different support than yours. We are all to some extent animals, at the same time herd and predatory. These animals have two very strong instincts: the instinct of the territory and instinct of "their own". Now in Russia these instincts are very working. When they say "a nation, sick, abnormal" is all not true. But there are instincts, and this is the case of responsibility of leaders (although they also have these instincts). But here we must include rationalism. Because people still have hunger instinct. In 1914, everyone shouted: "Hurray! Let's take Bosphorus and Dardanella!" - And after two and a half years, due to the untimely importing of bread to Petrograd, their idols were smashed. Therefore, it is very dangerous, and especially in the future. After all, if the principle of indestructibility of borders does not act, then it does not work for everyone ...

And we have a more television situation. We are dominated by Russian media, there is an understanding of allies in society. But this perception for the most part is not so emotional, without exaltation. According to sociologists, only fifteen percent have exaltation: these are those who consider themselves Russian. Although quite a lot of those who consider themselves Russians and condemn what happened to the Crimea and Donbass, they are in the minority.

On the other hand, there are 18 percent, which in this case are ready to pick up weapons and protect Belarus. It seems to be a little, but it is a million healthy men. We will not be armed so much (laughs) . I even know people who say “Putin is our idol”, but if you ask them further questions, they are ready to resist.

And the resistance here will be stronger than at first in Ukraine.