Belarus goes to the polls tomorrow, but the President's opponents have a nasty habit of disappearing
Published:
16 October 2004 y., Saturday
He speaks as though the Cold War never ended and makes no effort to conceal his aggressive desire to forge a new Soviet Union. He has in the past praised Hitler's talent for ruling, ridden roughshod over human rights in his country and is suspected of ordering the murders of political opponents who have disappeared without trace. Tomorrow, the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, aims to win a referendum that would entitle him to tear up the constitution and ensure his continued reign as Europe's last Stalinist dictator.
Mr Lukashenko, his opponents have said, is not merely intent on clearing a constitutional path to run for a limitless number of terms in office, what he wants is a lifetime presidency. The 50-year-old has attempted to deny the allegation, but after a decade of ruling with what he has admitted is "an element of authoritarianism" Mr Lukashenko shows no sign of going quietly.
Belarus, a country of 10 million, is now perched at the frontier of the European Union, bordering Lithuania and Poland. But it has remained hermetically sealed against the democratic and economic forces that have changed the face of many of the former Soviet republics. First-time visitors are struck by how the country seems frozen in a Soviet twilight zone where people still speak in whispers and criticism of the authorities is risky and sometimes life-threatening.
Šaltinis:
news.independent.co.uk
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Photographer Nigel Barker snaps top fashion models as they don boots to raise money to stomp out breast cancer.
more »
Revelers in El Salvador hurl fireballs at each other in a tradition marking the explosion of a volcano.
more »
Time to register for the 2010 edition of EU’s young translator contest.
more »
A six foot nine-inch tall Brazilian teenager dreams of becoming a model despite the challenges of her abnormal height.
more »
Colombia fashion show promotes safe sex by dressing models in clothes made from 12,000 condoms.
more »
Could 36 million people across Europe die if a fictitious form of TB became a reality? A school in Colchester worked over an entire day to come up with a law to help prevent such a pandemic.
more »
The construction of a metro line in Mexico City yields the remains of 50 Aztec children and various clay artifacts.
more »
On World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, the European Commission honours humanitarian workers who have lost their lives or freedom, or have been injured during the course of their work.
more »
The 19th of August marks the World Humanitarian Day, which is designated by the United Nations (UN) to honour international humanitarian aid workers who were killed or injured in the cause of of duty.
more »
The holy month of Ramadan begins around the world.
more »