The non-party system is the new face of Belarusian “democracy”

2023-06-06 14:00:01

Briefly:

• Of the 15 previously active political parties, only three will remain as a result of the re-registration.
• The new legislation effectively bans the existence of opposition parties.
• In the country’s political system, the place of parties was marginal before, but now they are generally outlawed.
• The authorities actively oppose the development of the party system and civil society.
• It is about a non-party political system, in which those parties that are allowed to exist will remain only as decorations.

The deadline for submitting documents for the re-registration of political parties ended on June 5. The Ministry of Justice has not yet announced how many of them have done so. The first party to be registered under the new law adopted in January 2023 was the pro-government White Russia. It is known from the mass media that the documents for the re-registration of the Communist and Liberal Democratic parties (both loyal to Lukashenka) have also been submitted.

From the opposition parties, the Belarusian party “Greens”, the BSDP “Hromada”, the Belarusian party of the left “Just World” wanted to re-register. However, their documents do not contain personal information of members of these organizations, which does not correspond to the new law on parties. Therefore, the probability of their registration is close to zero. The BPF and UHP did not submit documents to the Ministry of Justice at all, as they considered it a waste of time.

Thus, only three of the 15 previously active parties will remain after re-registration: “Belaya Rus”, Communist Party and LDP. As, by the way, the Minister of Justice predicted Siarhei Khamenka.

Incidentally, the new legislation actually prohibits the existence of opposition parties. The law “On changing the laws regarding the activities of political parties and other public associations” introduces a new basis for the liquidation of the mentioned organizations: non-compliance of “the activity of a political party, union with the main directions of domestic and foreign policy”. But the point of any opposition is to criticize and propose changes in domestic and foreign policy. Therefore, now there will be no place for the opposition in Belarus at all.

So far, parties have had a marginal place in the country’s political system. They were there as an extra link, the fifth wheel in the wagon. And what is important to pay attention to: both opposition parties and pro-government parties found themselves in this situation. It is very remarkable that there are no factions in the House of Representatives and there have never been any – neither party nor non-party factions. Which is very strange for the parliament. It’s funny to watch the leader of the LDP Oleg Gaidukevich endlessly brags that his party is the coolest, the most massive, the most influential. However, in the House of Representatives, this “most influential” has only one deputy’s mandate, which Oleg himself received (apparently, for his personal loyalty to the government).

Political parties can function normally and fulfill their assigned role in society only within the framework of the existence of real representative bodies of power and democratic elections. In the absence of these conditions, parties cease to fulfill the role of an instrument of political representation and influence on the adoption of governmental decisions, find themselves on the periphery of public life, turn into some kind of political clubs. Belarusian political parties found themselves in such a position. They have nothing to do in the absence of public policy, legal mechanism of political competition in the country.

The authorities actively oppose the development of parties. For example, they are stubbornly resisting the introduction of a proportional electoral system, in the framework of which voting would take place for party lists. This system operates in all neighboring countries. As a result, the role of political parties there has increased dramatically. But this is precisely what Alexander Lukshenko does not want.

At the press conference on the re-registration of parties on June 5, the Acting Chairman of the UGP Vladimir Shantsev declared: “Belarus is actually moving to a one-party system.” It must be referring to the role that will be played by the newly created White Russia party. However, judging by Lukashenka’s rather condescending attitude towards “Belarus”, the place and importance of the CPSU are not threatened. There is no information that officials are being driven en masse to join this organization. Thus, it is more likely a non-party political system, in which the three parties that are allowed to exist will remain only as decorations.

Parliamentary and local elections in February 2024 will be a general test of the functionality of the new system. They will probably be held without the participation of the opposition and independent observers, with three decorative parties. This is the new face of Belarusian “democracy”, so to speak.

The opinions expressed in the blogs represent the views of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect the position of the editors.