Dzmitry Bandarenka: Belarusians Keep Being Partisans

• 28.01.2025, 22:23

The 'elections' will be remembered for empty polling stations and the diversion of the 'Umka' Spitz.

The so-called 'elections' have come to an end in Belarus. Readers of independent media and foreign journalists reporting from the country described the "electoral farce" held on January 26 as marked by empty polling stations.

What will the past "elections" be remembered for? Why did some activists call Belarusians to "polling stations"? Dzmitry Bandarenka, the coordinator of the European Belarus Civil Campaign, discussed this and more with Charter97.org.

— As an experienced politician, you have more than one electoral campaign behind you. Which of them reminded you more of what happened in Belarus on January 26?

— Belarusians are wise people, and they participate in voting when it makes sense. I will say that over the past 25 years, the turnout in all "elections", including local and "elections" to the "house", was only in the presidential campaigns — 2001, 2006, 2010 and 2020. There have been no more "elections" in the last 25 years. Belarusians go to the polls when they see an alternative, some meaning and understand that there will be protests, it is necessary to defend the choice by certain actions. On January 26, there was a regular campaign in Belarus, when the authorities imitated the "elections", and the Belarusians ignored the efforts of the authorities.

I will say that it took much more courage from the Belarusians, because Lukashenka's fear, expressed in repression, of course, formed a certain attitude in society. Someone was forced to come to the polling stations, someone was intimidated, but the Belarusians remained partisans and expressed their will in this way. I think that even taking into account the coercion, the turnout for all voting days was 30-35%. This action did not take place even under Lukashenka's laws.

— Why did the Belarusians vote with their feet?

— I want to say that Belarusians are Europeans, this makes us different from Russians. In the Russian Federation, many bought into Putin's imperialist stories about the "great Russia". In Belarus, unlike Russia, where the majority really supports the Putin regime, the absolute majority is against Lukashenka's dictatorship. Belarusians want to live like our neighbouring countries, with whom we have been in the same states for centuries — the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and our common Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. A low bow to the Belarusians, because this campaign was really tough, to resist the pressure, intimidation and propaganda that poured from each iron, one can only realize and do bold actions, which were expressed precisely in not being driven to these "elections". Belarusians have shown themselves to be a free and European nation.

— What do you remember about these "elections"?

— Of course, they were remembered for the diversion of the Spitz Umka. I don't want to use a rude word, but this campaign will be remembered in history as "urinated elections".

— On December 4, one of the structures close to the office of Tsikhanouskaia released a video where Tsikhanouskaia and Latushka urge people to come to the polling stations and vote against everyone. According to the media, advertising was purchased to promote the video. Is it a complete misunderstanding of the people's needs in Belarus, or is it a deliberate act?

— Perhaps people were following orders, because you can't call them idiots. It was clear that they were not inspired when calling for these January 26 "elections". It was necessary to show this call. But the campaign is over, and these figures are now silent. Apparently, they also have data that Belarusians did not come to the "elections", and the polling stations where they called were empty.

In general, these are typical actions for Tsikhanouskaia. Many have already forgotten that her entire participation in the 2020 campaign consisted of several messages: "I am a weak woman", "do not collect signatures, as there will be provocations", "do not take to the streets, as there will be provocations". Then came the famous appeal from the CEC, although it is unclear why she went there, and did not hold a press conference where she would declare herself president. Then Tsikhanouskaia moved to Vilnius and there was an appeal: "Do not go out, I overestimated my strength." Then there was the 2022 "referendum" and the game of "tic-tac-toe." At key moments, a person performs actions that are beneficial to the authorities, which is why she was registered in 2020. The regime hoped that the Belarusians would somehow listen to her. But the Belarusians in most cases did exactly the opposite.

There is nothing to say about Latushka at all. This is a man who has served the regime for many years. Luxury life in exile with guards, cars and trips will not be able to redeem those years when he falsified the "elections", being the ambassador to France and Poland, the "black lists" of musicians when he was the Minister of Culture, when he worked as the speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — statements that "there are no political prisoners in Belarus", "there are no repressions", "the elections have taken place". These are crimes that cannot be washed away. I think that in a free Belarus, Latushka simply will not pass lustration.

In my opinion, Tsikhanouskaia's "office" is a body that took advantage of the protest in Belarus and parasitizes on it.

— Many Belarusians today ask themselves the question: "What's next? Will Lukashenka be there for another five years?" What do you think about it?

— I believe that until 2022, we could change the situation at any time. Repeatedly there were very critical time intervals for Lukashenka, and Belarusians could change the government. Some put in their full effort until the end, while others kept postponing things. Now, of course, we are dependent on the big world game and geopolitical upheavals that await the whole world in the near future.

Many people notice that we have entered a new 12-year cycle. Someone connects it with the years of solar activity. People record that important events occur in the year of the beginning of the 12-year cycle. In 2013, there was a Maidan directed against Russia, there was 1989, when the USSR withdrew troops from Afghanistan and the first congress of people's deputies took place, which put an end to the Communist Party, there was 1965, when there were changes under Brezhnev, 1952 — the years of Stalin's death, 1941 — the beginning of the war, 1929 — the year of the "great turning point", 1917 and 1905 — the years of revolutions.

I can predict that in 2025 there will be events that will radically affect the whole world, and will also be critical for Russia. Our task in these conditions is to calmly and decisively change the government, to begin positive transformations so that Belarus becomes part of the EU and Euro-Atlantic civilization.