‘The Polling Station Felt Abandoned, It Seemed Bats Were Nesting Overhead’

January 26 became the day of partisan resistance of Belarusians.

A reader shared his impressions of the empty polling stations during the "elections" on January 26 with the editors of Charter97.org:

— Dear editors, I would like to share my thoughts about the recent "presidential elections" in Belarus. If they can even be called "elections".

That day, I went to the polling station not to vote, but to see with my own eyes how this so-called "expression of the will of the people" was taking place. But what I saw there turned out to be a symbol of the current situation in the country. The polling station felt abandoned, it seemed bats were nesting overhead.

Voters practically did not come. Instead of queues and the buzzing talk of people, there was silence and the occasional sound of footsteps. It seems that the people have massively refused to participate in this farce. No one believes in the fairy tales of "99% trust" anymore, especially after decades of repression, lies and data falsification.

On the spot, I noticed only a few election commission members who were lazily leafing through papers. No excitement, no real interest. Even those who approached the polling station, as a rule, did not go inside. People are tired. They are tired of dictatorship, of constant suppression and of the fact that their opinion is never taken into account.

Lukashenka continues to cling to power, but this power has long been "on a thread". January 26 was another day that will go down in history as the day of partisan resistance of Belarusians.

Today I am sure of one thing: the future of Belarus is in the hearts and actions of people who want to live in a free country.

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