Expert: This is another way to cement the nomenclature

Republican Public Association "Belaya Rus" is going to become a party in 2012. Most likely, it will be called the Belarusian Party of National Unity. This was reported today by the first deputy head of Presidential Administration of Belarus, chairman of the RPA "Belaya Rus" Alexander Radkov.

UDF.BY spoke with political analyst Roman Yakovlevsky on the possibilities of creating Belarusian "party of state power", on the need for cementing the nomenclature and on how to cajole the EU.

- Belarusian Party of National Unity - is it Belarusian version of the "party of state power, which goes with the president?"

- Lukashenko once said, he wanted to see "Belaya Rus" not as a party of officials, created from the top, but a party of the people, created by an initiative from below. So by this "below", probably, we should consider the first deputy of the presidential administration. Of course, the Belarusian Party of National Unity, if established, will be the party of state power, working on the basis of its interests.

- "We must fit into the traditional European party systems", Radkov explained the name change. What do you think, whether such measures can bring Belarus closer to the European parliamentarism?

- An appeal to the tradition of European parliamentarism and party traditions are coming from the official's mouth, which is included in the EU's "black list" , it sounds, to put it mildly, not serious. After all, this list was created exactly because of the lack of parliamentary system and democracy in Belarus.

- There is a joke in the Internet, that it will be created not the Belarusian Party of National Unity, but the Belarusian Party of nomenclature unity. Does Belarus need a nomenclature party, and is it the project's task to consolidate national officials in times of crisis?

- I think, it's definitely another way to cement nomenclature. Obviously, the processes of "fermentation" have already started inside it. Although it is not expressed in celebrated resignations. It is simply impossible in our country. If in the Belarusian top circles has happened the story such as scandalous dismissal of Kudrin from the Russian government, he would immediately ended up in prison. Unfortunately, we can only guess at the real moods of the highest levels of the Belarusian government, make assumptions based on rumors and some minor public conflicts. But even in this meager data, you can see some increase in tension and lack of unity on the key issues.

- Many experts see in the transformation of "Belaya Rus" an attempt to create the Belarusian "United Russia", the full-fledged party of state power and of the president. Why in Belarus they are seriously addressing this issue only now?

- I don't think, that Lukashenko even now sees the need in the "party of state power". In our country, absolutism was firmly established. Belarus is not Russia, neither in a scale of political events, nor by a political system. There are certain similarities in methods of retaining power, in transformation of the power hierarchy, but in Belarus, absolutely everything is decided by one person. You cannot say this about Russia. I don't rule out, that all these talks about the party was started due to the upcoming parliamentary elections with a hope, that they will manage "to muddle" brains to the West one more time.

- Do you think, the measures such as creating a pro-government party can "muddle" the West brains and further recognition of the parliamentary elections? Or Belarusian officials think in this way?

- Rather, the Belarusian officials think in this way. When was the last time comrade Radkov was in Europe? When was the last time he talked with political and party leaders? What he contrives, along with other initiators of "Belaya Rus" in his office, is hardly interesting to anybody. This initiative won't effect the EU's position, at least, while there are political prisoners in Belarus.