Proposal of program-minimum for the period of uprising in Belarus

Throughout the Soviet and Lukashenko propaganda, many may think that anarchists in Belarus are barricades and clashes with OMON. But anarchism is much more than that. Somewhere behind the scenes, there is an idea that people can live with dignity and without a dictator and Bolsheviks.

Anarchists in Belarus pointed out even before the protests started that getting rid of Lukashenko was just the first step in the struggle for people’s freedom. The regime was not built in a single day and its destruction would require people’s will. All bureaucrats and officials who supported this regime would have to leave. And their posts and positions will have to be dismantled so that no one can recreate the dictatorship.

We understand that today’s revolution, despite its self-organization and huge collective energy, is still not anti-authoritarian. And we do not see it as a relevant and appropriate solution to declare an anarchist program. But even under such conditions, we consider it necessary to declare a minimum program, which is necessary to avoid the formation of another authoritarian regime. We have been ruled by strong rulers for over a hundred years. It’s time to show that people can do better!

Let us repeat – the anarchist program is much more radical from the one presented below, but we have tried to set realistic requirements, taking into account the context of the uprising, and set the vector of self-organization and grassroots self-governance to political and social transformations.

Decentralization of power

• Organization of real regional self-government instead of today’s butaford one.

• Accountability of delegates/deputies to the bottom, not the top.

• Maintaining a removable mandate for delegates/deputies. This means that at any moment an elected deputy/deputy may be recalled by the elected team if, in the opinion of the team, he does not perform the work assigned to him.

• Decentralization and federalization of power structures. Transfer of greater responsibility to regional elected assemblies

• People for administrative roles in enterprises, educational and medical systems and other state institutions are chosen by the employees of these institutions.

• Radical reduction of the staff of administrations and state control bodies of all levels, as well as courts.

President

• A tribunal is being established to resolve all violations during the rule of Lukashenko.

• Money from personal accounts and ownership of Lukashenko are transferred to local budgets

• The post of president is being abolished

Referendum

• The authorities in the country are the people, so all decisions on changing the legislation, international treaties and other important decisions must be made by general referendum.

• The referendum is held 4 times a year.

• Any citizen has the right to raise the issue of changing the law at a referendum when collecting 100,000 signatures.

Decriminalization

• Restoration of all workers and students dismissed during the protests

• Release and rehabilitation of all detainees and arrested during protests

• Release of all political prisoners

• Exclusion of political articles from administrative and criminal codes

• Prohibition of censorship on the Internet and in mass media

• Abolition of the death penalty

• Complete abolition of all repressive laws: the law on mass events and the law on countering extremism.

• Freedom of speech, press and assembly fixed by law

Militia

• Tribunals for all security forces responsible for repression, violence and murder

• Disbandment of OMON, GUBOPiK and internal troops

• Transfer of control over police to local authorities. Selection of heads of regional ROVDs

• Reduction of the state budget for the police

• Autosacks and water cannons for scrap metal – these cars should never appear on the streets of our cities!

• Prohibition on forming trade unions within the law enforcement agencies

Armed Forces

• Abolition of universal military duty

• Suspension of all officers responsible for introducing troops into the country’s cities

• Military Budget Cuts

Medicine

• Health budget increase

• Increase in salaries of medical personnel

• Transformation of the parallel medical system for officials and law enforcement officers into a general health care system – hospitals and clinics should serve people, not government posts!

• The dismissal of every manager responsible for falsifying coronavirus data

Education

• Budget increase for education

• Cancellation of mandatory training for those studing for free

• University autonomy – militia and other power structures are forbidden to enter the territory of educational institutions.

• Free education for all

• Restoration of all professors and teachers dismissed during the protests

• Freedom of association – everyone has the right to join student unions and participate in the student council

• Dissolution of BRSM

Courts

• Firing of judges responsible for political repression

• Judges are elected, not appointed, for a term of 4 years

• At the request of the accused, a jury trial may be used

Labor

• The right to independent trade unions. The union does not need to request registration

• The right to strike – workers have the right to strike when deemed necessary and to make political, economic and social demands.

• Factories to the workers! Administrative positions are elected and are appointed from below, not from above, for a limited period. The administration is responsible to the workers.

• Prohibition on privatization of large enterprises

• Reduction of workers only with the consent of workers’ collectives

• Cancellation of contract system and replacement by collective agreements

• Disbandment of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus.

• Cancellation of Decree No. 3

• Financial and social support for the unemployed. The level of unemployment benefits should not be lower than the minimum wage.

• Cancellation of pension reform.

• Program to support the cooperative movement

• Modernization of loss-making enterprises. In case it is necessary to reduce the number of workers, the state structures should provide the possibility of retraining for actual specialties.

Economy

• Progressive income tax – the rich must pay more poor to finance the state budget

• Active investment attraction in IT sector

• Simplification of migration rules to attract specialists from other countries

• Attaching the salary of managers to the minimum. Salaries of an official should not exceed 3 minimum wages in the country.

• A digital system of production and consumption planning, which allows minimizing the surplus and avoiding the deficit.

• Equalization of wages at state enterprises between the capital and regions

• The repayment of the external public debt at the expense of Lukashenko and his family, as well as the Presidential Fund.

• The property of the convicts under the Tribunal shall be confiscated and sold, the funds shall be directed to the victims and their relatives.

• Termination of the tax benefits regime for the Belarusian Orthodox Church

Government transparency

• Any government initiatives are published online for citizens’ information

• When requesting, any citizen should have access to official correspondence of elected delegates and officials.

• Opening of KGB archives

• Access to government documents on request

• There are no secret government expenditure items