STUB OF FREEDOM

"Liberty is a common principle which either all or none of nationals enjoy as their inalienable right. Partial liberty is, as I see it, the worst form of slavery. This is a true peril when liberty is cut in bites and each time as to the expediency,” said Edmund Burk, prominent British philosopher, several centuries ago.

It is almost ten years from the statement by Central Election Commission on that the citizens don’t wish any more to elect heads of local bodies of government and to establishment of criminal responsibility for discrediting of Belarus. Each time the authorities found a plausible pretext to “bite off a piece of freedom” and often with the hands of common citizens voting at referenda or electing needed deputies. This time there is also an excuse: the country has “turned out encircled by the enemy” and is getting ready to repel “informational attacks.” On the eve of the presidential election campaign those who don’t like the situation in the country may appear to speak out their thoughts to common citizens which is a great peril.

Thus, liberty in Belarus has been “bit off in pieces” till it turned into a stub. Public opinon polls have been showing for several years already that most citizens are afraid to speak out their political standpoints. (See Picture 1).

Only 14% of respondents said that no one is afraid to express their political viewpoints. Another 10.7% of citizens preferred not to answer such a tricky question at all. All others pointed out to this or that degree of fear. What freedom do we talk about then if people are afraid to express even their political views?

However, it isn’t all that simple: 16.1%of respondents say they are totally satisfied with democratization in Belarus. Then go 37.3% of those who are “rather satisfied than dissatisfied.” This means that over a half of population in general agree with what’s going on presently. Perhaps, some still remember the times when people were put in jails for telling political jokes (this isn’t the case in Belarus yet), and the other think that not too big but stable wages are more important. If believing all they say on TV, then neighboring Russia always backpays pensions to its citizens!

There’s yet other part of citizens who are dissatisfied with the “stub of liberty.” These people don’t with to live under fears. They want to build their future themselves. This is their liberty which the authorities cut down. These people don’t show off their stances and they don’t air them often, unlike representatives of the first group. Supporting a chief is not terrifying but it is bravery which is needed to uphold your rights when this chief infringes upon them.

By the way, answers to the questions “Are human rights observed in Belarus?” and “Will the presidential election of 2006 in Belarus free and fair?” to a greater extent back up the ratio of satisfied and dissatisfied with democratization in Belarus. Those who accept this power and who are satisfied with it claim that they don’t see human rights violation in Belarus. They are certain that their president A. Lukashenko will be elected for the third term in a free and fair election.

Those who are dissatisfied with the atmosphere of fear assess the situation quite differently. They point out to human rights violations. They don’t believe that free and fair election is possible under such conditions. On the other hand, such an estimate doesn’t yet mean that they will go for street actions of protest if the presidential election is rigged. According to the nation public opinion poll, only 12.2% are ready to go into the streets. However, this small figure is very impressive if related to the number of citizens – nearly one million people!

Furthermore, an abstract question on human rights violation does not reflect fully attitude of the Belarusian society to the current political course. A specific question gives a different answer. Those who take in the negative court’s sentence on the leaders of Belarusian opposition N. Statkevich, P. Severinets and A. Kilimov who were imprisoned for organization of street actions of protest (35.2%) are twofold more than those who take the part of the authorities in this issue (16.3%). By the way, exactly the same number of citizens are fully satisfied with democratization and don’t know anything about human rights violation in Belarus. That’s right. If people don’t think that penalty for expression of political views is human rights violation, they think there isn’t any human rights violation in this country at all.

It should be noted that the Belarusian society can be divided not only into supporters and opponents to the current president. Around one third of citizens sticks to the rule “it’s none of my business.” These people don’t care about political struggle. They prefer to yield to circumstances and mind their own business only. They don’t take offence against actions of authorities. For common people, the power-offender is usually the militia or an executive committee. Talks about politics seem strange and unclear for them.

These people are quite satisfied with their ‘stub of freedom’ and are ready to tolerate the current situation, yet only till the authorities bite off too much. However, the authorities tend to rise up their aspirations: they think they can determine the music to listen, the clothes for children to wear to school, the money transfers to get from abroad, the newspapers to read, where and how to spent vacations, etc. Invasion of privacy is taking place progressively more often, petty and irritant. It makes more and more of ‘not caring’ citizens make a choice.

As of today, only 17.8% of Belarusians think that a colored revolution like the ones which have recently swept across post-Soviet territories can take place in Belarus. Yet, the stub of freedom is getting less and who knows which will be the choice of our country fellowmen when it has only an end left...

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