When people feel like everything else has failed.
On August 8, 2020 a Presidential election was held in Belarus. The opposition leader had been jailed several months before, so his wife ran in his place. Before the election, she was polling at 60-70% all over the country. However, when the votes were counted President Alexander Lukashenko found that he had wone by getting slightly more than 80% of the vote. The only problem was, nobody believed the count was honest.
Lukashenko became president of Belarus in 1994 in the first election after Belarus becoming an independent country after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. The constitution limited a president to serve no more than two terms. One of Lukasenko's first acts was to remove the term limit for serving in the office of president of the Republic of Belarus. For most of the pat 26 years, people doubted the honesty of the elections, and this past August, they had come to the end of their patience. Every weekend since August 8, there have been mass protests in Minsk (the capitol city of Belarus), with crowds numbering as much as 250,000.
In spite of thousands being arrested and beaten, the people continue o protest. The only foreign nation supporting Lukashenko is Russia. He is condemned and sanctioned by most of Europe. The people realize that this is their only chance to become a free nation. All they want is free, honest elections.
Last week, I saw a Russian language youtube video stating the Lukashenko is condidering stepping down. This gives me hope that perhaps freedom will come to Belarus.
I see some parallels between the August 8 election in Belarus and our November 3 election. When the people feel there is no other recourse, they do what they think they have to do.
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In this case why is way more important then what.
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We have started down a very dark path, that will not end well.
There will be no turning back now.
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