Will presidential contenders refuse from televised debates?

Potential candidates want to meet with the current President at the televised debates. In case Lukashenka ignores debates, Rymasheuski will try to debate with all the other contenders, while Mikhalevich and Kastusyou will argue against each other. The European Radio for Belarus has decided to find out who would like to debate with whom.

Thus, Viktar Tsiareshchanka sees no other sparring-partner but the current President:

Viktar Tsiareshchanka: "I would like to discuss this or that issue with representatives of the authorities. What do I need Kastusyou or Sannikau for? What can they tell me? No one but me participated in the elaboration of State programs. No one knows certain economic situation. No one suggested anything, including Nyaklyaeu.

Ramanchuk is an economist by education, he doesn't work as an economist. I would like to talk to representatives of the authorities, so they explain why they acted this or that way. Why they let the default happen, the one which was hidden from the people. Who can give me a reply to that -Ramanchuk or Sannikau?  No one can".

It is interesting, that Jaraslau Ramanchuk shares this opinion to some extent:

Jaraslau Ramanchuk: "The only person to debate is Aliaksandr Lukashenka as he has led the country into a hopeless situation. There's no point in debates without him. It will be not debates, but introducing of the opposition in this case".

True, there are debates only when there are different views of the situation. Representatives of democratic forces have more or less similar opinions. However, Ales Mikhalevich will find something to argue about with any of the contenders:

Ales Mikhalevich : "Definitely, ideally it would be the current leader of the State. However, there are things on which I think the same as other contenders do, and on some subjects I disagree with them, sometimes strongly disagree".

Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu wants to debate only with Lukashenka and only broadcasted live. However, as the debates are to be shown on TV in the recorded version, the poet-contender will ignore them and appeal to other contenders to do the same. 

Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu: "There should be a common demand to show the debates live. If we fail to achieve that - we should refuse from participation in the debates altogether. However, this will never happen as approximately one third of those who struggle, let us say, to make it to "play-offs" are ready for anything just to be shown on screen so people get to know them".

Naturally, this concerns more young, unexperienced potential candidates. However, Ryhor Kastusyou would also find with whom to debate at the First National TV-Channel:

Ryhor Kastusyou: "It is unreasonable to debate with contenders who have convictions which are close to ours. What can we argue about? If Lukashenka ignores the debates, I would debate with Nyaklyaeu, Sannikau, Ramanchuk".

Andrej Sannikau has been the most mysterious about his participation in the televised debates:

Andrej Sannikau: "I don't know how they are going to organize the debates so I cannot say anything about my participation thereof yet".

Vital Rymasheuski is convinced that it is worth it to go for debates even without Lukashenka. However, in order democrats would not quarrel with each other in front of the cameras it is reasonable to meet beforehand and think everything over. 

Vital Rymasheuski: "We'll make the following suggestion: all the contenders should meet before the debates and think over the format of participation. As  Lukashenka would benefit if we show the democratic forces as broken and quarelling with each other".