New election will be the only demand of Belarusians at Square on September 28 (Photo, video)

• 10.09.2008, 14:35

The opposition mustn’t run in the election farce called “parliamentary election”. Without participation of oppositionists in precinct election commissions, votes of Belarusians will be stolen. In order to defend their vote, people should gather on September 28 to Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk at 8 p.m., stated at today’s press-conference in Minsk leaders of the Belarusian opposition.

The leader of the Belarusian Popular Front party Lyavon Barshcheuski, Charter’98 coordinator, one on the leaders of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Zmitser Bandarenka, a deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular front party Viktar Ivashkevich and the Young Front leader Zmitser Dashkevich have taken part in the press-conference.

“If the opposition will make concessions to the regime and agree to take part in the electoral farce, about what kind of next presidential elections could. The fate of the presidential elections is decided today. The opposition has demonstrated its force. 40% of the total number of candidates is almost as many as the regime has nominated for the “elections”. Representatives of the democratic forces shouldn’t give ground and take part in this farce, as it would be a treachery,” said the coordinator of the Charter’97, one of the leaders of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Zmitser Bandarenka.

As said by the politician, today the opposition should withdraw its candidates from the “elections”.

“Though I was one of the initiators of the boycott, nevertheless, frankly speaking, I hoped that there could be some concessions by the regime. But after September 8 the discussion about participation in the boycott or participation in the electoral farce, is over. Today the situation is different: not to take part in the electoral farce, or to take part in this farce till the end. Today the regime has registered 284 candidates for deputies. 76 of them are from the United Democratic Forces list, 20 from the European list, plus Shushkevich’s party members and independent democratic candidates. This makes 115 democratic candidates altogether.

In 2000, when a boycott took place, there were average 5.5. candidates per constituency, 3.3 candidates in 2004, and now 2.5 candidates per constituency. Even today there are 12 constituencies were the election would be non-alternative. That is why the opposition is facing the choice today, to become lackeys, to become one or two candidates in the “house of representatives”, or to withdraw all together, 115 candidates simultaneously, and to leave 70-80 constituencies without an alternative. And after that, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, you may drive people to the elections, to announce any turnout you want. You can announce a turnout f 90 per cent, but who would believe it?” the politician said.

Zmitser Bandarenka has compared the today’s situation with the “parliamentary elections” in 1996, when the Supreme Soviet of Belarus of the 13th convocation was disbanded.

“I remember the year 1996 (by the way, Eastern calendar speaks about 12-year cycles), when the Supreme Soviet was disbanded, and Lukashenka in fact said: “Who wants to become a deputy of the “house of representatives”, write an application to me!” And now, when democrats haven’t been allowed to become members of the election commissions, where they could court votes truly, the situation is repeating. Lukashenka says once again: “Guys, write applications. Your votes won’t be counted. I will consider a problem, to let you into the “parliament” or not. And the West advises me to take one or to into the parliament”.

Why Kalyakin, Statkevich and Lyabedzka continue to take part in the electoral farce under these conditions? We are hearing from Lyabedzka that the elections are “unfair”, but the voter is not to blame, so one should take part in the elections. That means, if rotten meat is sold in a shop, but the customer is not to blame, he or she should gulp it down nevertheless?

In 1996 there was a meeting near the Central Elections Committee, when Viktar Hanchar and a deputy Andrei Klimau urged people to gather on the square. I came to the square, there were not so many people, about 3-4 thousands, but much more people could join. However, Mr Sharetsky, then the head of the parliament, said: good people, break up, the situation is under control. He was told to say so by Russian and Western “advisors”. Yes, Syamyon Sharetski has his situation under total control, he is in California now, writing books, taking walks along the Pacific Ocean beach and feels fine,” Bandarenka says.

That is why the human rights activist has urged Belarusian citizens “not to listen to politicians from the East or from the West, but to gather on September 28 on the Square”.

“I address the Belarusians: dear people, for your vote not to be stolen, for your voice to be heard, come to the Square on September 28 at 8 p.m. Do not to listen to politicians from the East or from the West, but gather on September 28 on the Square. The Belarusian nation should say its word. Have a rest, stay at home, visit church, and at 8 p.m. come with your friends to the Square. There will be only one demand, new election”.

Zmitser Bandarenka has said to the Charter’97 press-centre:

“To gather on the square on the day of the vote is an accepted practice all over the world, especially when people protest against rigging election results. Recently the head of the Council of Europe Terry Davis reminded Alyaksandr Lukashenka about that. And the president of the International Federation of Human Rights Luis Guillermo Perez said during his visit to Minsk that if the regime would prevent people’s coming to the streets on the day of elections, he would press for sanctions against the Belarusian regime”.

The leader of the Belarusian Popular Front party Lyavon Barshcheuski stated that in line with the adopted decision the party should withdraw its candidates from the “parliamentary elections” before September 23. He condemn the intention of some political parties to “stay to the end” in the electoral farce.

“I state absolutely officially that the democratic forces are pushed to keep as many candidates in constituencies as possible by the regime on the one hand (not to have constituencies with non-alternative elections), and some politicians in the West on the other hand. In the beginning of the year there was a change of policy of our Western partners noticed. The main idea of this policy is that the opposition is “weak” in Belarus, that is why the authorities should be contacted with. Though they promised in word that opposition’s voice would be heard, in reality this voice hadn’t been heard.

The last meeting of the Belarusian Prime Minister Sidorsky with Prime Minister of Lithuania Kirkilas demonstrates that nobody consulted the opposition in these issues. Now the West is preparing recognition of the “chamber of representatives” after September 28.

Unfortunately, this line has found advocates in Belarus. I was at a seminar in Vilnius myself, and we had words of Milinkevich when he in fact said that he would have nothing to say against recognition of the “chamber of representatives”. The BPF believes that the “chamber” must not be recognized, as the conditions of the elections are not better than in 2004, and in many respects they are worse, including the make-up of election commissions. It’s true, less people are beaten, and less are detained near their homes, but considering the limited money allocated to the campaign by the state, it is impossible to carry out an effective campaign in an electoral constituency with 70,000 voters. There are no other means. The only slogan with which we could come to the square on September 28 (we have a decision of the democratic forces we are to protest) is a demand of new elections, as this election won’t be legitimate and democratic. If somebody stays in the electoral race till the last day, it would be hard for them to go to the square and demand new elections. “I have been participating in the campaign to the end, I agreed to votes count by crooked gamblers, and that they wrote figures they wanted,” they should say. That’s the key difference which makes the Belarusian Popular Front take its position, not to take part in the electoral farce. We didn’t use the word “boycott” so far, but since September 23 the party would work in the regime of boycott,” Lyavon Barshcheuski said.

The leader of the “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich stated that today Belarusians could demand new elections by coming to Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk.

“In the beginning of the “parliamentary campaign” there was one difference between supporters of boycott and adherents of participation in the “election campaign”. Boycott’s supporters stated that they understand everything that is going on in Belarus: the election cannot be democratic, new criminal cases are brought up, there are political prisoners in the country, peaceful protesters are beaten up in the streets. We said from the beginning that the vote of a Belarusian had been stolen already. We cannot expect any kind of democratic vote count procedure. Oppositional parties which formed a common list of candidates stated that they are still to look whether the campaign would be democratic, how many opposition activists would become members of district and constituency commissions, and then the decision on further participation in the campaign would be made. For us it is certainly not understandable why voices are still heard that we should participate in this farce. Today we are saying: the votes of Belarusians had been stolen, and we can defend these votes only by coming to Kastrychnitskaya Square on September 28 at 8 p.m.,” Zmitser Dashkevich said.