Dreaming of Eastphalia, in Belarus
by Tisaranee Gunasekara-Thursday, August 29, 2013
"I am the last and only dictator in Europe"
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus1
( August 29, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian)The day the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights arrived in Sri Lanka, the President of Sri Lanka flew to Belarus.
Belarus has been ruled by Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. In 2010 he won his 4th presidential election by bagging 79.65% of the vote (two of the rival contenders were badly beaten-up by the police2). His long reign was enabled by a referendum in 2004 which removed presidential term-limits. Mr Lukashenko, known by the sobriquet Bat’ka (father), is given to theatrical – and rather juvenile - displays of machismo; when President Putin displayed a giant pike he ‘caught’ as a demonstration of his prowess, Mr. Lukashenko responded by parading a much larger catfish3. The Belarus leader is an expert in holding stage-managed elections (at the last parliamentary election, the opposition parties failed to win a single seat). He jailed a one-time presidential rival4 and has taken giant strides to muzzle the media, including the internet. |
Had November come before September, the Rajapaksas could have adopted a far more obstructionist attitude vis-à-vis Navaneethan Pillai. But the outcome in Geneva, in September, might have an impact on the Commonwealth, in November. And making a success of the Commonwealth Summit is of the highest priority to the Rajapaksas.
He is also reportedly grooming his youngest son to succeed him5.
