Publications, quotes, and comments by PONARS Eurasia members: Arkady Moshes, “The Transition to Economic Liberalisation is Unstoppable,” The Independent, Dec 21 → “It may seem that the crackdown on popular protest in Minsk is proof the regime has full control of the situation and has not learned anything since March 2006–the last time the police violently dispersed protesters; it may seem that the people of Belarus should expect more of the same in years to come. But the reality is…” More » (©independent.co.uk) Also by Arkady Moshes: “Old President, New County. Should Europe Expect Further Change in Belarus?”, FIIA, Dec 10; “Триумф по расчету,” Газета.Ру, Dec 20; “Цена вопроса, Белоруссия,” Коммерсант, Dec 20 Irina Kobrinskaya was quoted in “Belarus Looks East and West as Presidential Elections Approach,” by Will Englund, Washington Post, Dec 17 Vladimir Gelman, “Уроки минского бунта,” Slon.ru, Dec 20 Julija Filinovica (staff contributor), Dec 19: “In the middle of the Kremlin smear campaign targeted at Lukashenko, some observers expected Russia to help the Belarusian opposition gain more power…Russian officials threatened to join the OSCE in denying legitimacy to the Lukashenko regime after the election. The EU seemed to be interested in taking advantage of the situation and using the rift to forge better relations with Belarus. In the last moment, during the December 10 OSCE summit, Russia and Belarus made peace, making clear that no major changes could occur in the Belarusian government after the December 19 elections. Results: As expected, Aleksandr Lukashenko was reelected for the fourth term during the December 19, 2010 presidential elections in Belarus. Lukashenko reportedly received 80% of the vote, while his nine opponents received 1-3% each. About 6% of voters cast their votes against all candidates. Protests: After the elections were held, about 20 thousand protesters poured into the streets of Minsk to express their discontent with the incumbent president. Opposition leaders in Belarus had campaigned for such a protest as early as half a year before the December 19 elections claiming that there would be violations during the election. The Belarusian government was well prepared for the riots, stampede, and violence that accompanied the protests. As protesters marched from the Oktyabrskaya Square to the Square of Independence, OMON special purpose police units tried to disperse the crowds. Rosbalt writes that 639 protesters were detained, including opposition candidates, Vladimir Nekliaev, Vitaliy Rymashevski, Andrei Sannikov, and other candidates. The only opposition candidate who denounced the protests was Yaroslav Romanchuk. Russian journalists who were in the Independence Square during the riots also suffered injuries. Lukashenko’s reaction: After the election, Lukashenko made several public statements about the opposition but the most intriguing announcement concerned “secret documents,” which “prove” that the Belarusian opposition is funded by the West, reports RFERL and Nezavisimaya. He stated that all documents related to the connection between the opposition and the West will be presented in a site similar to WikiLeaks. Russia, OSCE, the EU, and the U.S.: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev approved the results of the elections in Belarus. OSCE, the EU, and the U.S., on the other hand, have been critical of the election practices in Belarus. German FM Guido Westerwelle and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton demanded that opposition leaders be released.”
