MINSK, 4 December (BelTA) – Representatives of the opposition are competing with each other for western grants, Piotr Petrovsky, an expert with the Belarusian public association Belaya Rus, told BelTA.
In his words, western grants can be distributed in several ways. The first way is obscure distribution of funds among the leaders of certain social and political forces. “This money is a matter of ongoing struggle. These funds are credited quite quickly, no planning of the financial year is needed here. However, one should keep in mind that this money is meant for the backbone of the opposition forces, it does not reach activists on the ground, to say nothing of participants of illegal mass events. Although, to be honest, western donors have always tried to somehow financially stimulate violation of the law, however, the corruption in the opposition, known since the 1990s, does not allow this money to reach those it is meant for,” the expert said.
The second option is more strategic. “This option is planned for 2021. It has to do with financial planning by foundations of foreign states, or the so-called civil society for financing macro-projects. The radical opposition members living abroad are fighting today for the right to receive grants, as these grants provide not only technical aid, but also substantial funds to keep them going next year,” the expert noted.
