Paznyak: Thank goodness I live at this time!
The leader of the Christian Conservative Party BPF recalls August 25, 1999 – the day Belarus declared independence.
Euroradio: What was your August 25, 1991 like?
Zyanon Paznyak: I can say without any exaggeration that Belarusians had been waiting for that day for 200 years. The dream about independence came true in 1991. The situation was unique: the coup d’etat had failed in Moscow and the Belarusian communists who had supported the coup d’etat felt embarrassed and scared of the necessity to bear responsibility for their actions.
We had a day or two to use the situation when Moscow was busy and the ruling communist party was embarrassed. We needed the right tactics, we could not afford mistakes. And we did it despite the fact that there were 10% of our representatives in the Supreme Court.
First of all, we had to submit them, discharge the head of the Supreme Council who supported the coup d’etat, Mr. Dzemyantsei, and to forbid the party with their own help.
Then we had to do the most difficult thing – we had to unite those people to declare the independence of Belarus. We had that chance. And we managed to do it with the help of incredible efforts and tactics.
We did it brilliantly – nobody voted contra or abstained. The independence was declared unanimously.
I think that it was the most important day in my life. It was also the most important day for all the deputies of the opposition of the Popular Front. It is difficult to describe how happy we were. Few people have experienced something like that. We went out and started crying, embracing one another, dancing and burning newspapers. Thousands of people were singing. It was like a dream. We were an embodiment of the voice of all the generations that had perished for Belarus. It is very important to be independent.
No matter how difficult the current situation is, it is important to have an independent state. Speaking about the current situation – everything is up to you. Independence gives us the possibility to make decisions about our prospects ourselves. And it is essential. Thank goodness I live at this time.
Euroradio: What should today’s Belarusians do to preserve the independence?
Zyanon Paznyak: It is very simple: you should love Belarus. You should love you Fatherland like your mother and father, like your beloved wife and children. You should keep Belarus in your heart. If it is kept in your heart – our language and culture will be preserved. It all depends on us, on our education, on our will, on our knowledge. You have to struggle to be a decent person now but it is rewarding. It is good to be decent and generous and it is necessary to understand it.
