Dialogue with Lukashenko

Why we can't all just get along

The uneasy alliance is finally breaking down - so which is it gonna be, facts or logic?

Alexander Lukashenko is currently the Belarusian president who, according to international law, lost the August 9 election and whose term of office expires November 5, 2020.

He is unpopular and would lose a repeat presidential election, if one could be arranged within the next 64 days. That’s why he and Russian officials are now calling for changes to be made to the Constitution instead.

The creation two weeks ago of the Coordinating Council representing civil society has been instructive, not least because the exercise illustrates the impossibility of dialogue between Lukashenko and his critics in Belarus.

As of this writing, four of the seven members of the council’s presidium are in prison or traveling abroad. Of the remaining three, Maria Kalesnikava and Maksym Znak, have stopped making sense. That leaves Svetlana Alexievich, who has said Putin might help.

Putin won’t help.

November 5, 2020. Mark the date in your calendar.