Why will Milinkevich not run in the next parliamentary elections?
Milinkevich’s decision not take part in the upcoming parliamentary elections has raised a lot of controversy with some people saying that he fears to be defeated in the race and others suggesting that he does not want to stand in the way of the opposition coalition (which he has refused to join) in nominating candidates for the House of Representatives. The European Radio for Belarus explores possible cause behind his decision at first hand.
Alexander Milinkevich: (I have refused to run) because I think that I could be of a better use if I were part of the support groups for candidates. This is the way I worked during the local elections. I estimate that I toured over 40 cities, talking to people or standing in pickets or doing a door-to-door campaigning for candidates. This is rather more important than campaigning just in one constituency.
ERB: Yet, the “Alexander Milinkevich” brand as a parliamentary candidate could possibly get a better response within the society?
Alexander Milinkevich: No, I don’t think so at all. My past and present experience shows that I should not close on myself. I took part in the presidential elections and will run for the next presidential term. It is more important to me to visit as much cities and towns as possible during this campaign. There are enough decent people. When they need to display themselves, they will do so.
ERB: Do you fear to lose?
Alexander Milinkevich: “You can’t lose something which is non-existent. There have been no fair elections under these authorities. This is simply yet another campaign that I need to take use of. The most important thing is to work with the population. We always keep saying this. During the upcoming campaign, I should take a more active stance, not passive like during the previous elections when we agreed to play according to the rules of the authorities. We need to take a more active position when electoral commissions will be formed. We can demand that if our people are not represented in the commissions, we do not take part in these elections. In other words, I would pose an ultimatum to the authorities.
ERB: The opposition tried to boycott the 2000 elections, but that attempt failed…
Alexander Milinkevich: “That was a primitive attempt, because we said: “Elections are not democratic; this is a bloody regime, so we will not participate”. I am talking about different things. When we start nominating decent people to electoral commissions and when the authorities start rejecting them, we will launch an all-out public awareness campaign. This will mean an active boycott. Presently, 70 percent of the population thinks that we have fair elections.
ERB: Don’t you think that Milinkevich aka a candidate could do more than a Milinkevich who knocks door-to-door?
Alexander Milinkevich: There will be no candidate named Milinkevich. We should have no illusion that we have an election when people are elected. The deputies are appointed in this country. It makes no sense to appoint Milinkevich as a lawmaker.
ERB: If you decided to run as a candidate, can you imagine what amount of media attention your constituency could grab? They could not rig the count that easily…
Alexander Milinkevich: The election results are falsified regardless of the media, because the commissions that sign the protocols do not count the votes. Even if this miracle happened when the government wanted to show to the West that Belarus was a proper democracy, what a member of parliament could really do? Which powers does the parliament have in Belarus? It is the office of the president which decides everything.
ERB: However, you said that you were going to take part in the next presidential elections which are not fair, either.
Alexander Milinkevich: The presidential election is the only vote when there is a possibility of getting people out to the streets.
