Belarus: the difference between "go away" and "resign"

I think our readers it will be interesting for our readers to compare the ongoing political processes in Belarus and in our country. Our countries have many historical and other similarities. Both states were formed after the collapse of the USSR. In both countries after gaining independence up to day, the same people run the country using the controlled democracy. Both states had very good relations with the Russian Federation and did not seek integration with the West. The opposition in both countries was weakened by similar methods.  The number of population in our countries is the same.

Both countries have a dividend from the oil industry. Despite the fact that there are no oil fields in Belarus, it processes by two times more oil than we do and benefits from transit. This is where the similarities end and the differences begin.

Belarus is richer than Azerbaijan. Their GDP per capita is $ 6700, by $1700 more than in our country.  No oligarchy dominates the individual; there is monopoly in the economy, violations of the household, labor and economic rights of citizens. The distribution of national income is fairer than in our country. Therefore, unlike in our country there are no economic demands. Our opposition is better structured, with great experience in fighting the government and leaders familiar to the population for a long time. However, despite this, after the parliamentary elections, they could not bring a thousand people to rallies. In Belarus, despite the lack of these advantages, tens of thousands people came out to defend their votes.

In our country, mass protests are held only in Baku, but in Belarus, they are held in provincial cities. In Belarus, unlike Azerbaijan, industrial enterprises also joined the protests in the form of a strike. In Belarus, more than 1000 scientists turned to the country's leadership with a proposal to take into account the demands of the protesters. Cultural figures joined protesters. This has not been observed in our country since the collapse of the USSR. In Belarus, several state television journalists and riot police officers refused to fulfill their duties. It is nonsense under the conditions in our country.

People of Minsk used new tactics of the meeting struggle. They do not gather in large numbers on the Maidans, but hold mini-pickets, ribbons of solidarity in places convenient for them. Thus, they manage to avoid a big confrontation, disperse the forces of the militia, exhausting them. They turned out to be tactically more competent than our opposition. The rallies are not aggressive; they are soft and very attractive. No broken shop windows or overturned cars. Even citizens who have been subjected to police violence do not show aggressiveness. Most of the protesters are women -lovely, kind, smiling, and beautiful. Why not to follow them.

It seems that people came out to say goodbye to Lukashenko, and not to overthrow him. There is a very big difference in spirit between their slogan “go away” and our “resign”. In my opinion, this is the most distinctive aspect of these rallies. There are many young people aged 17-19. Ours are far from politics at this age.

Despite the fact that Belarus is on the border with the EU, the West is acting too slowly and gently. There is nothing new in this approach of the West. As always and everywhere.