Opposition candidates to compete with each other during local elections?
Former Communists will advertise their new party brand, while the Popular Front will try to hold a referendum against the increased import duties for foreign cars. The local elections are most like to take place in April, according to an agreement between the Central Elections Commission and the president, ECC secretary Mikalai Lazavik told the European Radio for Belarus. But the exact date of the vote will become known after Alexander Lukashenka signs a relevant decree. This may happen not earlier than January 20.
The opposition has already launched invisible but active preparations, the European Radio for Belarus has learned. According to Sergei Vaznyak who is a member of the Central Committee of the Just World leftist union, the former Communists plan to nominate a maximum number of candidates both for the seats in the local councils and in the local electoral commissions.
However, Sergei Vaznyak is not ready yet to say how many constituencies exactly the former Communists could cover. But he maintains it will be easy for them in the regions rather than in the capital city of Minsk.
The former Communists will campaign on the For a Just World! platform during the local elections. In the first place, they will advertise a new name of the party, formerly known as the Belarusian Party of Communists. Vaznyak also says that justice is something that people will vote for. The new brand and amendments in the electoral laws give a hope that several members of the party will become members of the local councils. He also says that there is nothing wrong that several opposition members will compete for the same mandate.
The Party of the Belarusian Popular Front is also finalizing the lists of candidates that will be nominated to run for the seats in the local councils. According to party chairman Aliaksei Yanukevich who will run in Minsk himself, they will also try to cover as much as constituencies as possible.
Yanukevich: “As of today, we are finilizing the list of potential candidates. There are nearly 130 people. We think to come up with 150 candidates”.
The Popular Front is also finalizing the list of people that will be nominated to become members of the local electoral commissions. They will focus on the town and district councils but will ignore the seats at the regional executive councils. Yanukevich says these are the councils with a low level of competence.
Just like the former Communists, the Popular Front also wants to take use of this election in order to adjust and shape a new image for the party. During the vote, they also plan to hold a referendum against the increased import duties for foreign cars.
But despite their own list of candidates, the Party of the Belarusian Popular Front will seek its approval by the Belarusian Pro-Independence Bloc.
Members of the Movement for Freedom will also take part in the local elections as independent candidates. Deputy chairman Ales Lahvinets does not know the number yet. But he says their participation will not be restricted to Minsk only.
Ales Lahvinets: “There are many regional activists at the Movement for Freedom. Those active people obviously plan to run”.
The movement will also coordinate their list of candidates with the single list from the Belarusian Pro-Independence Bloc (BNB). Thus, BNB will appear like a pro-democracy coalition during the local elections or those who got disappointed with the United Pro-Democracy Forces (UDF). Ales Lahvinets calls on those who did not get disappointed with UDF but are ready to work together to cooperate. However, this invitation does not apply to the Communists, despite the party's new name.
According to Yaraslau Ramanchuk, a deputy chairman of the United Civic Party, his party plans to nominate 200-250 candidates and to cover all the constituencies across the country together with their partners from the UDF coalition. However, just like people from the Movement for Freedom, they do/t reallly believe that even changes in the electoral loaws will bring them a lot of seats in local councils.
The opposition has already launched invisible but active preparations, the European Radio for Belarus has learned. According to Sergei Vaznyak who is a member of the Central Committee of the Just World leftist union, the former Communists plan to nominate a maximum number of candidates both for the seats in the local councils and in the local electoral commissions.
However, Sergei Vaznyak is not ready yet to say how many constituencies exactly the former Communists could cover. But he maintains it will be easy for them in the regions rather than in the capital city of Minsk.
The former Communists will campaign on the For a Just World! platform during the local elections. In the first place, they will advertise a new name of the party, formerly known as the Belarusian Party of Communists. Vaznyak also says that justice is something that people will vote for. The new brand and amendments in the electoral laws give a hope that several members of the party will become members of the local councils. He also says that there is nothing wrong that several opposition members will compete for the same mandate.
The Party of the Belarusian Popular Front is also finalizing the lists of candidates that will be nominated to run for the seats in the local councils. According to party chairman Aliaksei Yanukevich who will run in Minsk himself, they will also try to cover as much as constituencies as possible.
Yanukevich: “As of today, we are finilizing the list of potential candidates. There are nearly 130 people. We think to come up with 150 candidates”.
The Popular Front is also finalizing the list of people that will be nominated to become members of the local electoral commissions. They will focus on the town and district councils but will ignore the seats at the regional executive councils. Yanukevich says these are the councils with a low level of competence.
Just like the former Communists, the Popular Front also wants to take use of this election in order to adjust and shape a new image for the party. During the vote, they also plan to hold a referendum against the increased import duties for foreign cars.
But despite their own list of candidates, the Party of the Belarusian Popular Front will seek its approval by the Belarusian Pro-Independence Bloc.
Members of the Movement for Freedom will also take part in the local elections as independent candidates. Deputy chairman Ales Lahvinets does not know the number yet. But he says their participation will not be restricted to Minsk only.
Ales Lahvinets: “There are many regional activists at the Movement for Freedom. Those active people obviously plan to run”.
The movement will also coordinate their list of candidates with the single list from the Belarusian Pro-Independence Bloc (BNB). Thus, BNB will appear like a pro-democracy coalition during the local elections or those who got disappointed with the United Pro-Democracy Forces (UDF). Ales Lahvinets calls on those who did not get disappointed with UDF but are ready to work together to cooperate. However, this invitation does not apply to the Communists, despite the party's new name.
According to Yaraslau Ramanchuk, a deputy chairman of the United Civic Party, his party plans to nominate 200-250 candidates and to cover all the constituencies across the country together with their partners from the UDF coalition. However, just like people from the Movement for Freedom, they do/t reallly believe that even changes in the electoral loaws will bring them a lot of seats in local councils.
