Leanid Zaika: There Is A Peculiarity in Lukashenka’s Mentality

Why business and the dictator have different paths to follow.

It is high time for big business to get involved in politics.

Recently, the decision of the economic court deprived the disgraced oligarch Yury Chyzh of Minsk "Dinamo", which he owned for 20 years.

Even the fact that he was a member of Lukashenka's inner circle did not help Chyzh. For a long time, the oligarch was considered one of the most influential businessmen in the country.

Is the court decision legal? Should a new phase of nationalization based on the principle of "in the name of the revolution" be expected? Why does big business in Belarus let these things happen?

Charter97.org addressed these questions to Leanid Zaika, economist and head of the Strategy Analytical Center:

- First, Minsk Dimano is a sports community controlled by the KGB and the Interior Ministry. Chyzh never owned it. How can one own a "KGB sports community"? He was instructed to pay bills and support the "pride of the country".

He gave part of the money he got to this community. The procedure is absolutely common for Belarus.

If someone believes that he owned Dinamo, this person does not know the Belarusian political practice. Once again, Dinamo is the NKVD, KGB, MIA. He has lost his credibility, now his game is over.

- The Civil Code has a deadline for challenging the privatization - 10 years. This time it happened 20 years ago. Does it mean that the law does not work in the case of Dinamo?

- There is nothing strange here. Lukashenka considers himself above the law. Only the Kremlin's Lieutenant Colonel can argue with him. The rest owners, in his opinion, just mess around. Lukashenka is fond of hunting.

What Civil or Criminal Code do you mean? You know, many people study law, but they do not understand that there is no law in Belarus today. One needs just a phone call, that's it.

Anyway, there are no shocks for me in the story of Chyzh. He tried and was fined.

- It turns out that every businessman may face the same situation. Even the harvesting of potatoes in Lukashenka's garden could not save him...

- There is even a joke: first, they plant potatoes, and then they are jailed. Chyzh has already been a hostage. In 2016, he spent six months in the KGB detention centre.

If someone believes he's close to Lukashenka, then you should know that the Belarusian ruler has no close people. He believes that he is incomparable. U.S. President Donald Trump or German Chancellor Angela Merkel are small figures for him.

It takes 15 minutes for Lukashenka to send Chyzh or another person in the middle of nowhere, but Chyzh knew about it. By the way, he had a peculiar detail concerning misunderstanding of Lukashenka's mentality. I once made a speech at a major forum of the Association of Entrepreneurs and said that the Belarusian businessmen were odd. For example, Chyzh built a house at the waterfront in Minsk and apartments on upper floors were higher than Lukashenka's office. It's nonsense. Five years ago I said that one could not do that. The entrepreneur, a miserable thing, according to the person you know, builds a house where one can stand higher than Lukashenka himself, and then he was jailed.

There is one more eye-catchy thing about the mentality of Aliaksandr Ryhoravich. Once Belarus increasingly broadcasted weather forecasts. A young man named Riabau voiced them. I saw him 5 minutes a day, later - 10 minutes. I said then that I did not like this guy, I saw him as often as Lukashenka - every day. Later he was dismissed. However, some fools like ONT TV channel hired him, but they do not realise the realities of Belarusian politics and Lukashenka's mentality.

In general, Chyzh gave up.

- If a serious investor wants to come to Belarus, he analyzes the investment environment in the country, the political situation. How do you think investors see our country?

- Nobody needs it now. One has to send myths about foreign investments to the dumpster. In the best years, foreign investments were at the level of 12-14 per cent. Now they make up 3-4 per cent of total investments.

The authorities do not need any foreign investments here. First, they need to share property so that children of prime ministers, ministers, secretaries could own enterprises. They do not need foreign investments, no way. And those who do not agree are jailed. For example, an "Austrian investor" with a sound "German surname" as Murauyeu was jailed. What can be added?

When I meet foreign bankers, businessmen, I say to cherish no illusions. Feel free.

- Why does big business accept such an attitude and not fight back?

- Economic, financial, political elites should interact, support each other. It's not typical for Belarus, so any businessman can be smashed. They just haven't identified themselves as elite yet. For example, Chyzh has earned a fortune under the guise of an official. That's why they are jailed. Will anyone dare?

I remember a big businessman Aliaksandr Pupeika managed to escape to Poland. He did nothing wrong, but they wanted to bring him back through Interpol. His employee arrived and asked me to sign a petition for Pupeika. I signed it, and later talking to the Nobel Prize winner, writer Svetlana Alexievich, I found out that she and writer Vasil Bykau asked this businessman to help them with the publication of books and he refused. The Nobel Committee did not refuse, awarded the prize, unlike her countryman.

It's very indicative. Pupeika refused to help our writers, though the help was as expensive as wheels to his jeep. Who will support him after that? No one.

I believe Belarusian businessmen have much to realise and should evolve. Now they do not deserve sympathy. Who can say anything good about them? Can any scientist or a writer say a good word about a Belarusian businessman? No. They do not worth sympathy. New elite will come.

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