Presidential wannabe falls out of 'circus': 'I'm Lukashenka's main rival, but health is above wealth'
Belarusian economist Viktar Tsyareshchanka, who was about to run for presidency, says that the authorities want to intimidate him because he is a ‘single opposition candidate’.
According to the Central Election Commition [CEC], only 7,000 signatures collected for Mr Tsyareshchanka are recognised valid. His initiative group was reported to have collected 130,000 signatures.
“They [CEC] can give any number, even a thousand. We collected the signatures as we could – within the law. The fraud may have happened in commissions, or when coordinators were delivering [papers with signatures], or somewhere else,” Tsyareshchanka said. “They want to frighten me, the only opposition candidate. Now I am now the only opponent [of Lukashenka].”
The economist never urged people to protest against the regime, but always tried to convey his ‘constructive ideas’ about the economy to the authorities, tut.by reports.
“We need to change the feudal system of governance in the country, there is a lot of problems, enterprises keep laying off, our monetary policy fails to stand up against criticism,” he added.
“I am past caring, I withdraw from these elections, this circus. Good health is above wealth. This feudal system will not last long. Living like this in the heart of Europe is no good at all,” Tsyareshchanka said.
Now the economist is in hospital. On August 28 he was reportedly intoxicated by carrot juice in a coffee house in Minsk. The politician suspects some ‘party in interest’ of poisoning him.
According to the CEC latest data, only four presidential wannabes have a chance to become registered candidates – Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Syarhei Haydukevich, Mikalai Ulakhovich and Tatsyana Karatkevich.
