Belarus’ presidential elections, due to take place on Sunday, are once more likely to be largely interpreted in the west through the prism of the country’s poor human rights record, as well as its infamous status as the 'last dictatorship of Europe’.
Such readings, coupled with the lack of competition and fairness characterising such elections, mask a greater appreciation of the genuine, real-life concerns of ordinary Belarusian voters, not articulated in the Belarusian political system, nor likely appreciated by observers outside of Belarus.
Instead, we should turn to the major social, economic and political concerns, as well as aspirations, of Belarusian voters. Hence, there’s another question we should ask, one goes beyond western coverage of how life in Belarus will change after the election: what do people think about what’s happening in their country? What problems matter to them?
