Development of state and society as a major criterion

Scientific analysis has confirmed the effectiveness of the institution of presidency in Belarus

The institution of presidential power has firmly entered the political system of Belarus, has become an essential part of the Belarusian statehood and national security as well as an instrument for the effective development of the Belarusian state and society. This is primarily due to the fateful people’s choice of 1994 and the personality of the country’s President, Aleksandr Lukashenko. That was the pivotal idea of the distinguished round table on The Institution of Presidential Power in Strengthening Belarusian Statehood and National Security dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the institution of presidency in Belarus, held on July 18th, at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences.

Round table on The Institution of Presidential Power in Strengthening Belarusian Statehood and National Security at the
Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences       Ilya Shvedko

We have a lot to be proud of

The institution of presidential power has firmly entered the political system of our country, has become an essential part of the Belarusian statehood and national security, as highlighted by the Chairman of the Presidium of Belarus’ National Academy of Sciences (NAS), Academician, Doctor of Economics, Professor Vladimir Gusakov. “That is why the 30th anniversary of the institution of presidency in Belarus is a landmark event and a landmark date. We have a lot to be proud of, and Belarusians have a lot to say about the achievements made over the last thirty years. They are obvious in all spheres. Let us recall that in 1994, most of our enterprises, including the GDP-forming giants, did not function. Barter was used in mutual settlements between business entities, and workers had to go on enforced leaves. Mass unemployment was real, and there were long-term delays in wages of up to six months or more. Officials were busy drawing up urgent plans for wholesale privatisation… Young people were leaving science due to the absence of salary, many institutes worked simply under their own inertia,” Vladimir Gusakov stressed.  The Chairman of the NAS Presidium underscored,

“It is no coincidence that the priority for the elected Head of State was not wholesale privatisation but the co-ordinated work of all branches of government in order to lead the people and the country away from the abyss. And the President has fully succeeded in doing that. In fact, today we have a completely different, new country — powerful, safe, comfortable, and confidently developing.”

President’s strength lies in unity with people

During the thirty-year period of the formation of the presidential power in Belarus, a fundamentally new political system of the Belarusian statehood has been established, premised on the experience of previous generations, as noted by the Academician-Secretary of the Department of Humanities and Arts of Belarus’ National Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Aleksandr Kovalenya. “The dialectic of society’s vital activity bears evidence to the fact that personality plays a huge role in the development of the state. It is known that the historical process is nothing else but the activity of certain people. In the recent history of Belarus, there were many leaders who claimed to be national prophets. However, most of them did not receive the trust and broad support of the Belarusian people,” Aleksandr Kovalenya pointed out.  

Experience provides strong evidence that in order to become an outstanding figure, it is necessary to have talent, willpower, and an extraordinary desire to serve the people with the greatest benefit. It appears that the Belarusian political leader, Aleksandr Lukashenko, possesses precisely these qualities. Most importantly, the President comes from the people and there was no one behind him except for ordinary people. Note that most of his supporters (and even opponents!) agree that the strength of the President of Belarus lies in unity with the people.

Belarus is lucky to have a strong leader

The role of personality in history is of great importance, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the House of Representatives on Education, Culture and Science, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Vyacheslav Danilovich is convinced. He recalled that during the Soviet period, there was a lot of talk about the ability of the people to solve their problems on their own. However, the practice of historical studies has shown that this is far from being the case, “It is enough to recall the Soviet Union and the fact that the union republics held referendums, where the majority of the population voted to preserve the renewed Union. Nevertheless, the ruling elite led by Gorbachev did not meet the wishes of the people — and we know the result perfectly well.” 
Therefore, the role of personality in history is truly significant. This is particularly so in the history of Belarus, given the country’s location at a geopolitical crossroads, through which thousands of wars and military conflicts have swept. Forming an effective state here is only possible providing that there is a forceful, strong leader for whom the interests of the people and the state come first. In this regard, Belarus is lucky to have such a leader — Aleksandr Lukashenko. 
The parliamentarian and scientist drew special attention of the round table participants to the crucial role of the President of Belarus in the establishment of effective parliamentarism in Belarus. Vyacheslav Danilovich voiced an important message, “Being a deputy is not some kind of sinecure. It involves real work with people, with voters, who determine the development of our society and our state. After all, as stated in our Constitution, the people is the source of power.”  

The people have repeatedly confirmed the mandate of trust of our President — Aleksandr Lukashenko — which is a clear indicator that the Belarusian leader pursues truly people’s policy aimed at reflecting and supporting the interests of the majority of our citizens, our society and our state.

In addition, Vyacheslav Danilovich drew the attention of the round table participants to the attitude of the Head of the Belarusian state to the historical past, “I have repeatedly witnessed that when asked what tasks are set for historical science, Aleksandr Lukashenko has always replied: there is only one task — give an objective picture of the historical past. This attitude is worth its weight in gold. There are very few leaders in the modern world who set such a task for the historians of their country. This is the greatest wisdom of our President. After all, it is only by having an objective historical picture of the past that it is possible to draw a lesson from it and ensure the normal existence and development of the people, society and the state.” 

Taking care of history and contemporaries

The fact that the development is very effective is objectively indicated by sociological research. The Director of the Institute of Sociology of Belarus’ National Academy of Sciences, Candidate of Sociological Sciences, Associate Professor Nikolay Myslivets stated, “According to the results of the research that we have conducted since the very beginning of the 2000s, it should be noted that the assessment of the socio-economic situation in our republic obviously demonstrates positive dynamics. According to the assessment of the well-being of one’s own family, the dynamics over the past 20 years are visible to the naked eye. Another indicator of the effectiveness of the institution of presidency is the level of public satisfaction and trust in public administration. This level has also increased significantly.” Based on numerous sociological studies, the Director of the Institute of Sociology observed,

“We live in a peaceful country, where we are guaranteed the opportunity to work peacefully. The Year of Quality puts forward new requirements — it is necessary to work as efficiently and competently as possible. In this regard, the Belarusians’ feeling of absolute security reflects important positive dynamics, being another indicator that testifies to the effectiveness of the institution of presidency in Belarus.”

By Maksim Osipov