Opposing the Opposition

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Aliaksandr Milinkevich refused to participate in the Congress of Democratic Forces, which is scheduled for March 2007. “The congress is to take place in a month, but its agenda and aims are still not defined”, writes Milinkevich in his recent statement. “I can not remain the hostage of this situation and don’t want to take part in internal quarrels. The democrats are often rightly accused of not taking any real action. I oppose the rivalry between the party leaders, which threatens to swallow the whole potential of the opposition coalition”. He also said that all efforts should be united to ensure the successful massive Freedom Day protest action (25 March).

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Milinkevich was elected a leader of the united opposition during the last Congress of Democratic Forces in October 2005. After the violent suppression of the March 2006 protests, a long period of political vagueness has begun. The opposition leaders again became absorbed in their old conflicts. The discussion whether Milinkevich should retain his role as the opposition leader and the opposition representative abroad, has begun. Considering the fact, that Milinkevich is the only opposition leader, who has a significant popularity among the population, one can assume that the party leaders, who has been around for decades, but were unable to change the situation and seriously challenge Lukashenka as persons, worry less about their influence in the society and more about their value in the cemented opposition structures, influence on the foreign donors, and the access to financial resources.

Belarusian party leaders condemned Milinkevich’s decision to found a new movement “For Freedom” open to all people opposing the regime, accused him of stealing their activists and began to discuss the possibility to introduce the rotation principle of political leadership during the congress. That means, the post of the leader of the united opposition will be held by every party leader in turn, several months each.

The common political activists, totally disillusioned in the old opposition “elite”, increasingly criticized Milinkevich of being too passive. The wave of political activism, launched by the March protest, was dying out. Milinkevich has been trying to balance between the wishes of the activists and his obligations to the leaders of the “united opposition”. Finally, after the opposition parties practically flunked the communal elections campaign in January, he’s had enough and decided to act his own way.

“We understand, that the Congress will not be a Congress without Milinkevich”, said Vintsuk Viachorka, leader of the Party of Belarusian People’s Front. “But Milinkevich without the united democratic forces is not a leader anymore”. That sounds right. To be fair, just let me ask another question: who are the party leaders without Milinkevich, and who is Milinkevich without party leaders?

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