Today Belarus should have celebrated the annulled Independence Day. 16 yeas back, Belarus became a sovereign state, as the soviet occupation of our country had ended. But unlike the northern neighbors, our nomenclature was too indecisive to embrace the new challenges – Europeanization, building up democracy and free market economy. The Belarusian Popular Front, so instrumental in achieving the sovereignty, failed to become the dominant political force in the country. But Belarusians were also fed up with corrupt and feeble Kebich’s government.

Lukashenka surfed up on the wave of civil dissatisfaction with the status quo. And it was he who rescinded the Independence Day on the pretext that the real independence was given to our country when we were liberated from the nazi occupation and not when the USSR collapsed. However, our nation did not become free in 1945. One occupation was followed by another. Personally, this resulted in emigration of some of my relatives having to flee from the soviet persecution.

In a way, I feel that the occupation of Belarus continues. Lukashenko government has alienated itself from our national culture, history so much that it resembles a junta basing their actions not on our state interests but on their personal enrichment strategies. Or sometimes they just seem to be on a short leash tugged by Moscow. I believe that once this regime is over, we’ll be able to celebrate a real Independence Day, which will come pretty soon. I hope…