People take to streets as CEC denies registration to popular presidential hopefuls


On the morning of July 14, the CEC refused to register Viktar Babaryka and Valer Tsapkala as presidential candidates. Afterwards, there appeared calls in telegram channels to take to the main streets of Belarusian cities at 19.00 to protest against the government’s actions. Thousands of people expressed readiness to take part in the protests in anonymous online polls.

Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu, a presidential candidate in the 2010 election, comments on the results of the registration on Belsat:

“I did not run in the election race precisely because I knew it would happen. Success could be achieved under one condition — there must be one candidate from the democratic opposition. We nominated Statkevich not because we are stupid, but to focus on what is happening. I respect Babaryka, I treat Tsapkala with piety, but spoilt people can’t stand. They must be prepared to sacrifice themselves and everything… Only power against power. The power of the people is stronger than that of the army and special forces. There should be a candidate who will collect this force into one fist, which will finish the authorities”.

“The appeal of Babaryka’s staff to vote on August 9 shows the lack of political experience of the nominee and his team, and there is nothing to complicate. In his headquarters, people are spoilt: there is enough money for resorts and vacations… And suddenly you need to change all understanding… They can not do it. And they can’t go to court due to the Square”.

Regarding the popular reaction to the non-registration of candidates Babaryka and Tsapkala, Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu said:

“Despite their self-organization on social networks, Belarusians still cannot go out en masse on their own. They need someone who will be ahead. Syarhei Tsikhanouski, the leader of the peaceful protest, was such a person”.

According to Nyaklyayeu, the authorities do not want to understand the changes taking place in the Belarusian society:

“In 2010, Lukashenka also said that he understood that there were dissidents in the society. SHe said so and forgot it. He himself believed in his messianism, saying that you created Belarus”.

Nyaklyayeu called Andrei Dzmitryeu’s speech “an attempt to occupy the niche of the only democratic candidate.”

“We have to pay tribute to him – he is the fastest in the whole company. If this mind was not vile… But people change. It’s been 10 years”.

We are also collecting information on how voters who signed up en masse for the right of alternative candidates to participate in the campaign reacted to the decision of the main commission.

Lidziya Yarmoshyna registered 5 presidential candidates: Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Andrei Dzmitryieu, Hanna Kanapatskaya, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Syarhei Cherachen.

Belsat summed up the results of the registration of presidential candidates live and covered spontaneous rallies.

Photo: Khrystsina Charnyauskaya / Belsat

Photo Alisa Hanchar/Belsat

Cyclists riding through the streets of Minsk in protest are detained together with bicycles.
Photo: Alisa Hanchar / Belsat

Artsyom Lyava. Photo: Alisa Hanchar / Belsat

Photo Belsat

Photo Alisa Hanchar/Belsat

Photo Belsat

Photo Alisa Hanchar/Belsat

Photo Alisa Hanchar/Belsat

belsat.eu

TWITTER