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Well, the absence of free elections should be a dead giveaway with regards to your first question. As to "does it matter".. I'd say it does, at least to the people living there and getting thrown in jail if they voice a dissenting opinion in front of someone with a big mouth
Yes, basically we are a dictatorship! Does it matter? Well yes I think so. But to be honest I don't bother too much about this) just somehow I can live with it. It's not so scary, if you are not an active opposition member))
Well, the absence of free elections should be a dead giveaway with regards to your first question. As to "does it matter".. I'd say it does, at least to the people living there and getting thrown in jail if they voice a dissenting opinion in front of someone with a big mouth
No people are normally not put in jail just for dissenting opinions. I heard tons of people criticizing Lukashenko, our internet forums are full of such dissent, and everyone is still free)
Another thing is, as I say, if you are an active opposition member. There is also some danger if you take part in opposition demostrations, especially those that take place just after presidential elections.
so you should know the rules of the game...
Yeah it is, they have general elections but people don't really know other candidates apart from Lukashenko, or that is what I've heard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marmel
Yes, basically we are a dictatorship! Does it matter? Well yes I think so. But to be honest I don't bother too much about this) just somehow I can live with it. It's not so scary, if you are not an active opposition member))
Yeah it is, they have general elections but people don't really know other candidates apart from Lukashenko, or that is what I've heard
Well people are aware of these candidates. But these candidates often end up in prison just after elections. Elections are probably rigged, but still I find if quite possible that Lukashenko could win honestly. Many people do vote for him, especially old and provincial.
When Luka got 83% at 2006 elections, there were of course rumors that elections had been rigged. And Luka said in one of his official speeches: "Yes, the results were really falsified. Actually I got even more votes, but I was told that those are not European figures. So I made my result lower to look like European".
He has some sense of humor, this Lukashenko
I also remember that in 2010, German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle visited Belarus. After that, Lukashenko said: "They say I am a dictator. But I think it's better to be a dictator than to be gay"...
Oh, glad to hear that Catbelle Is it gonna be a business trip, or you just travel in this part of Europe?
Family trip and some tourism
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