Paul
Goble
Staunton, September 10 – Vladimir
Putin and Alyaksandr Lukashenka are proceeding with plans to sign the
implementation accord for the 1999 Union Treaty. They and their staffs have
reportedly prepared 31 “road maps” for it. But all of this is being done behind
closed doors, and that is making both Russians and Belarusians nervous, Nezavisimaya
gazeta says.
Because the two leaders say there is
still much work to be done but refuse to release the agreements that have been
made so far, people in both countries are reaching conclusions that may not be
true but that are causing people to be more worried than they need to be, the
paper says (ng.ru/editorial/2019-09-10/2_7672_red.html).
It isn’t even clear,
the editors continue, whether the “renewed” union treaty will establish a
communal apartment or two separate ones. No one wants the former because both
nations “do not want to give up what they have independence.” But people on both sides and especially the Belarusian
are assuming the worst.
Pavel Usov, a Belarusian political
scientist, says that “unfortunately, we in general don’t know what kind of a
document it will be but undoubtedly it will mean the latest shot at our
independence,” a view the Moscow paper says “many expert share” especially
because except for the leaders and their immediate circle no one knows for
sure.
The Belarusian government has tried
to calm people down by saying that the renewed union agreement will not do anything
to harm Belarusian independence, but those who look at the original 1999 accord
aren’t so sure. That agreement seems to
point to the formation of a single state.
But whatever is going on, Nezavisimaya
gazeta continues, it will be better if the powers that be in both countries
start sharing information with their own people. Otherwise rumors and
conspiracy mongering will take over. In short,
it says, “the more openness there is, the less distrust citizens will have
toward what is being prepared for their future.”
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