MINSK, 14 October (BelTA) – Protest actions in Belarus represent an attempt to shake loose the society and split it for years to come, BelTA learned from Igor Gedich, a member of the Education, Science, Culture, and Social Development Commission of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus.
The senator said: “As of late it is noticeable that the number of people taking part in protest actions has decreased, yet the protests themselves have become more radical. I met an acquaintance of mine the other day. We have different convictions. He told me I might become his personal enemy. I started to think where I had heard it before. It was in the 1940s. Do you remember the leader of Nazism? He also had personal enemies – Yuri Levitan, Erich Remarque, Marinesko. This trend has resurfaced now with a tint of aggression. All of us remember history well and know how that man's life ended. I think this radicalism will end the same way. These threats and aggression are not part of the Belarusian character but there are such individuals. We have to fight these manifestations and make certain decisions within the framework of the legislation.”
The senator said that there are tools that allow every Belarusian to express his or her opinion. Igor Gedich mentioned political parties and dialogue platforms, which are being opened to discuss proposals on the constitutional reform. “There are ways to submit your proposals. Simple law nihilism, which thankfully only a small number of Belarusians embrace, should not spread. We need to convince people. We have to talk to them, which is being done at all the levels of the government structure,” he said.
Igor Gedich stressed that tolerance has always been part of the Belarusian character. “There is no revolutionary situation in Belarus at present. We all understand it very well. In my opinion, it is simply an attempt to shake loose the society and keep it separated for many years. This is why certain measures need to be taken to prevent the split of our society. It is very important,” he added. “We can see that the events going on in Kyrgyzstan, in Nagorno-Karabakh at present cannot make people happier. They convert people and the state into an easy prey for certain political forces that exist around us. There are external players that are trying to influence the domestic situation by all means. Declarations of non-interference in internal affairs of the state stay on paper. Unfortunately, it is part of today's political world.”
