Danilovich: personification of the supreme political power is very important for our society

A presidential republic is the optimal model of governing the country for Belarus, which best fits the outline of our political traditions – as noted by the Rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Belarus, Vyacheslav Danilovich, in his talk with Alfa Radio

“The personification of the supreme power is in our tradition. When this personification is present, when the head of the state or society is a specific person who, in fact, bears full responsibility for successful development, everything is clear and understandable,” said the expert. “It’s bad when power is eroded. There have been periods in our history when there was power indistinct, e.g., the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, when the Sejm eroded everything that was possible. The so-called 'Golden Liberty', when it was impossible to make a single decision to strengthen the state. One vote against in the Sejm was enough and no decision was made. This was actively used by external players who simply bribed people and blocked decisions, pursuing their own interests. In Belarusian history, the element of the presence of collective power has a negative connotation. The personification of the supreme political power is very important for our society.”

At the same time, the person who heads the state must act not from the point of view of personal ambitions and some narrow group of elites, but primarily in the interests of the people, as is the case in modern Belarus.

“Aleksandr Lukashenko is a true, charismatic leader who reflects precisely the interests of the majority. Our slogan, filled with real meaning, is a state for the people. This is true. We have built a vertical power structure, there is a wide network of representative government bodies: from local councils to the National Assembly and the Belarusian People’s Congress. In conditions of geopolitical upheavals, the Belarusian People’s Congress is a key body, enabling us not to lose what we have and preventing (to a certain extent) society and the state from radical turns and sudden changes in political course. Moreover, the Belarusian People’s Congress corresponds to our traditions. Remember the ‘veche’ [a popular assembly in medieval Slavic countries] that existed in its time. We are forming a normal, healthy civil society – a patriotic society. For any state that wants to develop successfully, patriotism is a key element. People, no matter what political parties or public associations they are in, no matter where they work, must first of all be patriots, statesmen and, of course, professionals in their field of activity. Then the state will develop successfully.”