Belarus was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the 13th and 14th centuries. The Grand Duchy was united with Poland in the 1500s. Belarus then became part of the Russian Empire, following the dismemberment of Poland at the end of the 18th century. The Republic became part of the Soviet Union, after the Russo-German treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918, which ended World War I in Eastern Europe. Between 1941 and 1944, Belarus was occupied by German forces invading Russia; the region bore much of the brunt of the German occupation. An estimated two million people – including virtually the
whole Jewish population – were murdered during this period.
With the post-war settlement, Belarus returned to its former status as a Soviet republic but (uniquely among Soviet republics) was granted membership of the United Nations in its own right as a concession to Soviet requests for greater voting power at the assembly. The post-war Soviet era brought comparative prosperity to the Republic, as it became a major center of manufacturing in the western USSR. Along with this came a sizeable Russian immigrant population, who now account for about one-seventh of the total. Lacking the specific grievances that affected other Soviet areas, such as the Baltic republics, there was less pressure for reform during the Gorbachev era. The principal opposition formation, the Belarusian Popular Front, was formed in 1988, achieving some success at the elections to the (now disbanded) Congress of People’s Deputies in Moscow.
As the USSR disintegrated in 1991, the Republic’s Communist Party (CPB) moved quickly to reassert itself as the dominant political force. The post-independence leadership was keen to maintain political and economic links with Moscow and was a leading proponent of the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States – a loose alliance of ex-Soviet republics that came into being shortly afterwards and whose headquarters was in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. The current leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenka, originally came to power at the 1994 presidential election. An important element of his platform was a promise to end corruption (he was previously head of the anti-corruption commission). Unfortunately, Lukashenka’s rule became characterized by ever greater corruption, nepotism, censorship and arbitrary decision-making; it has since deteriorated further, with restrictions on religious and political assembly and, in the worst cases, the disappearance and death of prominent critics. In 1996, a dubious referendum had endorsed Lukashenka’s intention to extend both his powers and his term of office to 2001. The former trade union leader, Vladimir Goncharik, stood against Lukashenka at the September 2001 presidential poll. However, despite extensive support from the USA, Goncharik suffered a heavy defeat.
The Lukashenka government’s conduct has completely undermined Belarus’ relations with the West, which it had initially sought to develop. In November 2002, the US and European imposed ‘targeted’ sanctions against Lukashenka and senior members of the regime. Lukashenka is now looking to Moscow and especially the integration project, under which the two countries will become united at political and economic levels, adding to an already extensive set of bilateral agreements. However, Putin is not nearly as keen as his predecessor, Yeltsin, was. The Russians are demanding a high price for their agreement and Lukashenka might have little choice but to accede. Also, the issue of government corruption still taints Belarus and raises certain necessary questions. Would Russia demand government reform and a crackdown on electoral fairness? Would indifference be shown towards such claims? Or would Belarus be swallowed up by Russia to the extent that it was governed more by Putin in Moscow than a representative in its own country - perhaps a corruption of a different, and not necessarily more favorable, kind? These issues continue to simmer. In early 2005, Belarus was listed by the US as Europe's only remaining outpost of tyranny. The EU extended travel restrictions on senior officials and the USA imposed sanctions. Street protests throughout 2004 have highlighted that Belarusians wish to keep these complaints at the forefront of worldwide media. Their fears were not quelled when, in December 2004, an opposition politician, Mikhail Mariaich, was jailed for five years for allegedly stealing office equipment - although most suspect his incarceration was politically motivated.
The official results of a referendum in October 2004 showed almost unanimous support for the removal of the two-term limit on Lukashenka's rule. At parliamentary elections held at the same time, official results also showed that opposition parties failed to win a single seat. Foreign observers claim that there was widespread corruption involved with both votes, and protests on the streets followed the elections.
GovernmentThe 1994 constitution, controversially amended in 1996, allows for legislative power to be held by a bicameral National Assembly (Verchovny Soviet). This comprises a 110-member House of Representatives directly elected for a four-year term and a 64-member Council of the Republic, of which eight members are presidential appointees and the remainder elected by local authorities. The President, who is directly elected for a five-year term, exercises executive power, assisted by a Council of Ministers answerable to the National Assembly.
EconomyDespite a paucity of natural resources, Belarus enjoyed a relatively high level of prosperity during the Soviet era compared to other ex-Soviet republics. However, the economy has slowed in recent years.
The main agriculture crops are sugar beet, grain and potatoes; livestock breeding is also substantial. The manufacturing industry is focused on the production of agricultural machinery vehicles and chemicals, most of which have been exported in the past. Apart from a few oil and gas deposits, Belarus has no energy reserves and relies on imports, most of which come from the Russian Federation.
Like other Soviet republics, Belarus suffered a sharp decline in output and a variety of other problems following the dissolution of the Soviet Union; this was then followed by a period of stabilization, which took hold during the mid 1990s as the government and people adjusted to new economic circumstances. The economy recorded GDP growth of 9.2% in 2005 and inflation of 10.3%.
Reluctance to implement measures recommended by the IMF, World Bank and the EBRD (which Belarus joined in 1992) has limited access to these sources of finance. The government has since been engaged in a tentative program of privatization. In 2002, 200 state-owned enterprises in the Minsk area were privatized; the government has (under Russian pressure) committed itself to selling major national enterprises.
Belarus’ trade is largely conducted with the countries of the former Soviet Union. In 2002, these accounted for two-thirds of Belarusian trade (nearly 80% of that was with Russia). Belarus has been trying to develop its trade links with the Arab world, especially Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, with limited results.
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