Opposition hesitant over participation in elections

The registration of candidates for the local elections ended on March 25. On the same day, even without the final results on the number of registered candidates, the leaders of the opposition parties and movements agreed to meet and discuss further actions. It is worth notфing that this time there was no divide between members of the United Pro-Democracy Forces and the Belarusian Pro-Independence Bloc. For instance, Popular Front chairman Alyaksei Yanukevich was personally invited for a meeting by Just World party leader Sergei Kalyakin.

This was revealed to the European Radio for Belarus by Ryhor Kastusyu who heads the campaign headquarters of the Party of the Belarusian Popular Front.

Ruhor Kasusyou: “We consider the elections false and undemocratic, but we request our members who will be registered as candidates to go to the end in order to outreach to people and share our position on the events taking place across the country. We also want to record violations during the electoral campaign and to make them known to the local public and the international community”.

Moreover, there are members who are confident to win during the local polls, he says.

According to Viktar Karniyenka, a deputy chairman of the Movement for Freedom, they support their activists to run to the end. However, during the meeting, their representatives will listen to boycott supporter very carefully.

Viktar Karniyenka: “If boycott supporters have some strategy, we are ready to listen to them and discuss. Perhaps, they have some ideads in this regad. But if it is simply about being hurt by authorities, it is surprising to take such a position for politicians”.

Karniyena says that it is important to understand what boycott is aimed at. If it is amied at the society, this is one thing. If the opposition wants to draw OSCE's attention, it will be pointless, reckons the politician.

Sergei Kalyakin and Vaelry Ukhnalyou from the Just World party will also attend the meeting. Their party is ready to withdraw their candidates on condition that all othe parties will do the same.

Pavel Sevyarynets, the leader of the Belarusian Christian Demoracy, say they do not have the final position yet. But they are inclined to taking part into the elections to the end. "BCD leadership will gather on Sundat to decide our position for this month of the election campaign. But, currently, the mood is to take part in the campaign up to the moment when early voting begins", he says.

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