MINSK, 30 December (BelTA) – This year Belarusian people have passed the test forced on them from outside, Nikolai Shchekin, Candidate of Philosophy, Head of the Sociology of Public Administration Department at the Sociology Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, told BelTA.
“Taking stock of this year's outcomes, we can already say that the way of life of Belarus was put to a serious test; a coup d'etat was prevented. The pace of events has not yet allowed us to deeply analyze what has happened. But it is obvious that Belarusian people have successfully passed the test imposed from the outside. Belarusians have conscientiously fulfilled their historical mission to serve the country and save it. We also need to assess the role of Aleksandr Lukashenko's personality and understand his undeniable historical significance,” Nikolai Shchekin believes.
In his opinion, the presidential election set the record straight both in the country and abroad. “Reality has revealed both genuine love for the fatherland, and betrayal, unfortunately. At the same time, life prompts us to keep going. During the years of independence, we all have been able to make Belarus a sovereign, safe and comfortable state - a great country to live and work in. So it's time for all of us to learn to appreciate what we have, but the main thing is to turn the page, to go through this period and to understand how to become better and identify the risks of the future. You need to learn to think of Belarus in terms of its development and future. People should demonstrate responsibility, good judgment, mutual respect, devotion to the fatherland, reverent attitude towards the past and be self-demanding and law-abiding. The future starts with ourselves. Belarus still has a lot to go through in the near term - to minimize the aftermath of COVID-19, to maintain stability of the economy and the banking system in the context of unprecedented sanctions that were imposed in violation of all international rules, as well as gross and unconstitutional interference in domestic affairs. The year of 2021 is the time of renewal and reset. It should always be remembered that there is no statehood without traditions. Therefore, the Belarusian People's Congress should become a national think tank that will put forward and adopt rules and regulations governing the life of the country and each citizen,” Nikolai Shchekin said.
