Belarus: Learning from defeat

Author(s): Vitali Silitski

In: Journal of Democracy, Vol 17, No 4 (October), 2006, pp. 138-152

Examines presidential election of March 2006 and argues that, although the protests against abuses apparently failed, they created a ‘network of solidarity’ and a ‘revolution of the spirit’. Two essays by Silitski focus on the effectiveness of the authoritarian regime and why it can contain protest are: Vitali Silitski, Pre-empting Democracy: The Case of Belarus, 2005 , pp. 83-97 , and Vitali Silitski, Contagion Deterred: Pre-emptive Authoritarianism in the Former Soviet Union (the Case of Belarus), In Valerie J. Bunce, Michael McFaul, Kathryn Stoner-Weiss, Democracy and Authoritarianism in the Postcommunist World (D. II.1. Comparative Assessments) New York, Cambridge University Press, 2009 , pp. 274-299 .