They want to live in Europe, but do not criticize Lukashenka. Presidential candidates have presented their programs. Do they present an alternative to the current head of the country?
A month before the election day the candidates for presidecy have not begun to answer the main question of how they differ from Lukashenka. Veteran of the Belarusian elections Siarhei Haydukevich even said that he approved of the policy of the current government, although he admitted that after the elections the situation will be worse.
Siarhei Haydukevich, presidential candidate: “At the moment the actions that are taking place in the government and the Central Bank satisfy me. But what they will do next? And then we will have the most difficult period, I mean the beginning of November, and we’ll see what measures will be proposed by the government”.
Previously known for his pro-Russian stance, Siarhei Haydukevich this year changed the rhetoric. “We need to look not only to Russia but also to the European Union. They have the advanced technology!”
Tatsiana Karatkevich has been coaxing under the banners of the activists of other democratic organizations, but with no avail. She has released the main points of her program on the Internet.
A number of commentators have compared the impossibility of this program with the program of Aliaksandr Lukashenka of 1994.
Vital Tsyhankou, a columnist for the radio Freedom: “The program of Tatsiana Karatkevich has many hooks for a mass voter. But there is nothing about the geopolitical choice of Belarus, of the state language, national symbols.”
The head of state has yet to have his program printed, moreover, he is in no hurry to hold the All-Belarusian Assembly. Some observers believe that Lukashenka thus demonstrates that there is no rival for him. But there is also the opposite view that considering failure of old promises of the president this year, there is not much to tell the voters about. Maybe that’s why the elections are seen primarily not as a mechanism of power change, but as a duty.
All of this peace was violated by the former presidential candidate and a recent political prisoner Mikola Statkevich. The politician urged his supporters to jin him at the meeting of voters in Minsk to discuss the results of the 21-year rule of Lukashenka.
Arkadz Nestiarenka, Belsat
