Opinion: 2024 Single Voting Day to become plebiscite in support of ‘collective Lukashenko’

It is no secret that the collective West does not hide its ambitions to expand its own geopolitical influence at the expense of the independence and sovereignty of Belarus. The Smolensk border and the Belarusian ‘balcony’ (as it is called in geostrategy) are an important element of Eurasian security in the light of maintaining the balance of power in the region. The violation of this balance has already led to a military escalation – as it is seen on the example of Ukraine. Previously, the geopolitical struggle for Belarus manifested itself in hybrid aggression in the form of attempts at colour revolutions through counterparties disguised as political parties and NGOs. The events of 2020 demonstrated the harmfulness and danger of the continued existence of such subversive elements in the republic. Political expert Piotr Petrovsky shared his views on the topic.

“Single Voting Day will take place in Belarus on February 25th, 2024: deputies of local Councils of Deputies, the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly will be re-elected, and delegates of the Belarusian People's Congress will be elected. This election campaign will take place in unprecedented geopolitical conditions of international confrontation, in which Belarus is in the zone of contact between two blocs: the collective West and the collective East,” the expert noted.

It is no secret that the collective West does not hide its ambitions to expand its own geopolitical influence at the expense of the independence and sovereignty of Belarus. The Smolensk border and the Belarusian ‘balcony’ (as it is called in geostrategy) are an important element of Eurasian security in the light of maintaining the balance of power in the region. The violation of this balance has already led to a military escalation seen on the example of Ukraine. Previously, the geopolitical struggle for Belarus manifested itself in hybrid aggression in the form of attempts at colour revolutions through counterparties disguised as political parties and NGOs. The events of 2020 demonstrated the harmfulness and danger of the continued existence of such subversive elements in the republic.

Mr. Petrovsky explained, “In the period from 2021 to 2023, the socio-political sphere was seriously modernised. Hundreds of pseudo-NGO cells – through which the undermining of the Belarusian statehood was carried out – have been liquidated, and only four (out of 15 political parties) operate now in reality. The parties – which existed on paper only – and the fifth column hiding under the guise of parties have been eliminated. Foreigners have been deprived of the mechanisms of hybrid political influence within Belarus. Some of the agents of influence were brought to justice, some managed to escape from justice abroad. The fugitives actively engaged in subversive, extremist and even sabotage and terrorist activities against the Belarusian state and people. There were customers for that in the person of Western countries that are not ready to talk to Minsk on an equal footing, but through terrorist attacks, sabotage and provocations they want to undermine the sovereignty and independence of Belarus.”

“In this situation, based on the process of building continuity mechanisms in the country, the need to strengthen sovereignty in the conditions of increasing geopolitical escalation, the political campaign will become a nationwide plebiscite in support of ‘collective Lukashenko’, where the leading political parties and public organisations will represent him. The main task of the state and citizens in this situation should be to prevent provocations, terrorist attacks, sabotage and attempts to disrupt the electoral process in this way. Fighting back against collaborators and traitors who have settled abroad ‘hiding under the baseboard’, as the President says, is a top priority. It will not work here in the old manner,” the expert added.