I pity those people in Belarus who have televisions with rabbit-ear antennas and neither satellite dishes nor basic Cable. I remember how all broadcast stations were canceling whatever they’d had on their schedules when Lukashenko addressed the nation or his government in a public meeting. He openly humiliated officials, members of local governments many of whom were much older than him. And they never fired back, sat like juvenile criminals – eyes down, scarcely breathing, afraid to budge. All this nonsense looked like a televised freak show, staged with one purpose – to show that the president cared for his people and allowed no spin among his subordinates.

Watching him speak, what I rarely did, I must confess I questioned his sanity. Can an intelligent human being behave in such a disreputable way? Can I recall any living president of any country to engage oneself in a three ring circus like this? Probably not.

Well, it’s not just me guessing at Lukashenko’s condition, but Anatoly Lebedko, the United Civil Party Chairman, has come forth questioning the incumbent’s ability to run the country and filed a query to the Council of Ministers. In his statement, Lebedko mentioned some of recent Lukashenko’s whimsies. For example, in a few interviews, Lukashenko said that around 95% of the electorate voted for him in the last election, which contradicted even the official results. He also blabbed that 99% of young people supported him. He also said that he was on a special mission in Havana and spoke on behalf not only of his country but of entire Europe. These and other facts led Lebedko to doubt Lukashenko’s ability to adequately comprehend what goes on around him and his ability to run the country. There are some other funny examples Lebedko offered. Read the entire article (in Russian).

Well, yeah, there you go. Funny to read, but oh, so true. Lukashenko’s health is a major concern. But on the other hand, I am also worried how things are going in the democratic sector. Seems like the divide between some political forces has touched the ground and is more visible than ever. The question is almost rhetorical - why did four political parties – the United Civic Party, Social Democrats ‘Hramada,’ Communists, and Labor Party – chose to distant themselves from the Belarusian Popular Front and, I assume, Milinkevich? It seems to me that his influence on the democratic camp is being tarnished, and I strongly doubt how the coalition can be preserved in its current state. Mini-coalitions which are being formed for the forth-coming local elections lack some feasible system of coordinates. The card house is as weak as it gets without a proper strategy, or maybe it’s about time when the spirit of the masses is “F**k the strategy! The ship is sinking anyway. We’ll go the other way.” But what is that other way?