The political crisis in Belarus has reached either a stalemate or a crossroads that evades easy predictions as to where, when and how it will be resolved or alleviated.
On the government side, the stalemate reveals itself in unusual nervousness. The country’s law enforcement chiefs have been reshuffled – itself not that unusual, but the recent tempo has been remarkable.
Only in September, Valery Vakulchik was transferred to be secretary of the national Security Council after having chaired the Belarusian KGB for the last eight years. Now, Mr. Vakulchik was suddenly shifted again, to the position of presidential assistant responsible for Brest Oblast. Likewise, Yury Karayev, the minister of internal affairs (in charge of police) since merely June 2019, has now been named assistant to the president as well, responsible for Grodno (Belta, October 30). The heads of three Belarusian universities have also been replaced (Tut.by, October 20).