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May 14 – May 20, 2012

Political activity in the regions

The situation has not changed
Political activity in the regions

Political activity in the regions is mainly restricted to symbolic actions on public and ‘alternative’ holidays, organized by the opposition parties and movements. The authorities are blocking all other forms of political activity by imposing bans on picketing, rallies and gatherings.

In the regions, as well as in the capital city, there is no hype in connection with the upcoming parliamentary elections. Although in the regions it is much easier for the parties and movements to cooperate than in the centre, the level of coordination of the joint actions is still low.

The repression of the late 2010 and the repression throughout 2012 lead to a paralysis of political activity in Belarus. The cost of participation in any form of protests seems to be too high for the population. However, a significant decrease in income, and the high redundancy level among the employees create an incentive for attracting new activists, even despite the fear of repression.

The upcoming election campaign does not leave much to be desired in the present state of events. Its most significant political achievement (apart from forming a new parliament) will be restructuring the political force and exercising new methods for working and interacting with the population.

Even now, most of the political parties are making attempts to get engaged in solving social issues and choose social activity as a form of interaction with the population. The “Tell the Truth!” campaign holds the leading position among other civil campaigns, although other political and public organisations are trying to redirect their efforts towards civil issues. However, the parties and movements are not consistent in their actions as they attempt to connect social problems with political issues, which are, surely, of much less concern for the population.

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Once a week, in coordination with a group of prominent Belarusian analysts, we provide analytical commentaries on the most topical and relevant issues, including the behind-the-scenes processes occurring in Belarus. These commentaries are available in Belarusian, Russian, and English.
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