Presidential elections-2015: No unity - no single opposition contender (video)


According to a recent poll carried out by the Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS), more than 50% of Belarusians are ready to cast their vote for a new, strong presidential candidate. Are opposition leaders going to seize the moment?
Both opposition activists and independent observers believe that the authorities have trampled all the forms of political fight in Belarus. President Lukashenka’s opponents are constantly being pressurized; as the freedom of media is limited, democratic politicians have difficulty reaching out to people. Even young people who are commonly regarded as the most active and advanced stratum of society fail to name any presidential candidate from opposition, say nothing of naming ‘their’ candidate.
English subs:
{movie}Presidential elections-2015: no single opposition contender? ENG subs |right|15956{/movie}
MINSK RESIDENTS:
‘We got to know them due to the latest presidential campaign – it is the only period of time when they make a public appearance’
‘Frankly speaking, I don’t know them. That is why I wouldn’t cast my vote for any of them’
‘I don’t know them either. I will vote for Lukashenka’
‘I remember some Kazlovich … or Kazlouski, and another man, his surname begins with M’
‘If any of them had sensible offers I might vote for them’
40.9 percent of Belarusians are in favour of the nomination of a single contender to represent opposition forces in the 2015 presidential election. Aliaksandr Milinkevich who experienced this 8 years ago thinks that democratic forces might not succeed in collecting the necessary number of votes if they fail to nominate a single candidate.
ALIAKSANDR MILINKEVICH, ex-presidential candidate:
‘If there are 9 or 10 candidates as in 2010 opposition won’t get enough votes.’
The presidential elections is 1.5 years off. The opposition has enough time to improve its ratings which currently leave much to be desired.According to the IISEPS, 66.3% of Belarusians have no trust for opposition parties, 14.9% trust them. The popularity ratings of potential opposition presidential candidates are slightly more than 20 percent combined. Politician Vital Rymasheuski believes that the nomination of a single presidentical candidate will be a real chance for opposition.
VITAL RYMASHEUSKI, ex-presidential candidate:
‘The number of Belarusians ready to support a single candidate will definitely exceed that of people backing the incumbent president.’


But although the presidential elections are only 18 months away the democratic structures have not agreed on either the single contender or the procedure of his nomination.
Martsin Yarski, In Focus
TWITTER