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Belarus Problems of Democratization
Of the 346 deputies to the Belorussian Supreme Soviet
elected
in 1990, fourteen were still vacant three years later,
owing to
voter apathy. There was also widespread apathy toward the
political process and disbelief that what were being
advertised
as democratic ways would improve the situation. This
general
political malaise was then, and continued to be in 1995,
reflected in the feeble growth, small size, and low
popularity of
political parties.
Although the 1990 and 1995 parliamentary elections were
far
from democratic, the predominance of conservatives in the
legislature had deeper roots than just the lack of means
for free
expression and the strictures of the electoral procedure.
A
widely heard rhetorical question was, "What is more
useful,
sausage or freedom?" The conservative majority in
parliament--
largely managers, administrators, and representatives of
such
groups as war veterans and collective and state farm
managers--
had successfully slowed the pace of reforms, and the
standard of
living had decreased dramatically for most of the
population.
In view of the tremendous economic difficulties that
accompanied the post-Soviet period, the years before
perestroika looked reasonably good to most
citizens. The
populace was frustrated by the misuse of a freedom whose
benefits
were measured predominantly in material terms. Nostalgia
for the
so-called good old days had been growing stronger ever
since the
country declared its independence, and the lack of
political
energy in the country hindered the growth of political
parties
not tied to the old ways.
An example of political inertia is the debate on
relations
between Russia and Belarus. This debate has proceeded
rather
noisily and has been couched in cultural and historical
terms,
rather than in terms of the state's interests. National
interests
and foreign affairs are still deemed to be beyond the
average
citizen's competence, and the idea that the
party/government
knows best is still prevalent in the popular mind.
The four-question referendum that had prompted the
parliamentary hunger strike in April 1994 was held on May
15,
1995. The populace voted "yes" on all four questions:
Russian as
an official language, the return of a Soviet-era red and
green
flag, economic integration with Russia, and presidential
power to
dissolve the Supreme Soviet. The result hardly inspired
confidence among aspiring democrats.
Data as of June 1995
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