Single candidate: Belarus opposition ready to stand up against Lukashenka?

Five Belarusian opposition parties have agreed to nominate a single candidate for the 2020 presidential elections.

The initiative was endorsed by the movement For Freedom, the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party (BCD), the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), the Belarusian People’s Front (BPF), the United Civic Party of Belarus (UCPB).

According to the information voiced at Monday’s press conference, the nomination mechanism has been developed. The ‘primaries’ will last until May and will also be conducted on the Internet.

The procedure will be based on a scoring system; the maximum number of points a candidate might collect is 100. Each party will be free to give 10 points to their runner; 30 points may be obtained during online voting; another 30 – during the voting in the regions. And final 30 points may be granted to a presidential wannabe by the Democratic Forces Congress scheduled for May. It is then that the public will know the name of the single candidate.

Press conference in Minsk. 27 January, 2020.

Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Belsat

As far as the election programme is concerned, the right-centre coalition set specific conditions: the single candidate must:

• be a defender of Belarusian independence and stand against the dictatorship;
• seek Belarus’ withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization;
• push for cancelling the agreement on the establishment of the Union of Belarus and Russia and demand the removal of foreign troops from the country;
• be a supporter of the Belarusian language and culture, as well as the idea of state secularism.

The initiators of the primaries also agreed that the candidates should not make statements undermining the values of ‘traditional family and society’. In addition, they should respect religious rights.

Yury Hubarevich (For Freedom), Pavel Sevyarynets (BCD), Volha Kavalkova (BCD), Alyaksei Yanukevich (BPF), Mikalai Kazlou (UCPB) are on the list of potential nominees.

Pavel Sevyarynets.

Photo: Іryna Arakouskaya / Белсат

Міkhas Yanchuk.

Photo: Iryna Arakhouskaya / Белсат

Mikhas Yanchuk, a representative of the Fresh Wind movement, brought a puppet figurine to the press conference by the opposition coalition. The activist accused the oppositionists of playing into hands of the incumbent president and called them for boycotting the pseudo-elections held under control of Alyaksandr Lukashenka and his minions. However, the representatives of the parties above said they would join the initiative only if the authorities failed to register their candidate.

The 2020 presidential election will take place in August at the latest.

Belsat.eu