To the Victor Go the Spoils

It is interesting to observe how the President of Belarus uses his official website to commemorate having "won" a highly irregular election this week that was condemned by international observers The site is in both Russian and English, and in his "receiving room," you are invited to write a letter to the president. I've blogged before about the rhetorical conventions of websites of former Soviet republics that have failed to develop democratic institutions, but Belarus presents a special case because of the "I don't have to be liked" ethos of the head of state that is recorded throughout the links. Unlike other allegedly charismatic leaders, Alexander Lukashenko doesn't claim to be lionized by his people, and his bio emphasizes his hard working persona and the disadvantages of having grown up without a father.