Belarus
Summary
After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than have any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country’s first and only directly elected president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means and a centralized economic system. Government restrictions on political and civil freedoms, freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion have remained in place. The situation was somewhat aggravated after security services cracked down on mass protests challenging election results in the capital, Minsk, following the 2010 presidential election, but little protest occurred after the 2015 election. [1]
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From the The Joshua Project [2]
In the News
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Prayer Guide
Belarus stumbled into an unexpected independence, yet it remains, in political structure and operation, a virtual throwback to the Communist era. Elections are largely a sham, and the nation remains firmly in Moscow’s sphere of influence. The prospects of a grassroots democratic revolution seem very slim. But growing numbers are opposed to the regime and vocally in favour of increased freedoms; change came unexpectedly and quickly to the USSR in 1991 and more recently to Ukraine and Georgia. Pray for hope, justice and a brighter future for the people of Belarus. [2]