Stanislau Husak: It's not elections, it is just voting

“I will not take part in this nationalwide sham. There's no sense in voting,” the expert says.

Stanislau Husak, a power engineer and author of the Baltic-Black Sea reservoir project, shared his opinion with the website charter97.org.

Will you vote at the “elections”?

I have not voted since 1994. It's not elections, it is just voting.

It's funny when head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Yarmoshyna  says the elections were held in compliance with the law. Perhaps it's true, everything was in accordance with the law on the voting day. But people are not elected on the voting day. They are elected on the day when the election campaign was announced. We should see our candidates. Aspirants should have opportunities to answer questions of voters in the media. Voters should have contacts with opposition candidates. It is necessary. In our country, people are invited to visit a polling station on the voting day and give their vote. They look at the list of candidates and don't know anyone, There's no difference for them for whom they vote. If someone hints them how they should vote, they will do so. It has been happening during all elections under Lukashenka's rule. We need to understand that Lukashenka received power not without the help of the Kremlin. As soon as he came to power, he created a system of suppressing dissidents and all those calling themselves opposition. As a result, people do not know on what values the opposition is based.

What would you advise the people who are still hesitating?

I advise them not to vote.

The opposition does not have the common strategy. What do you think about it?

Everyone has the right to have his own position on all political issues. If they are sure they are right, let them run in the elections. But I think it's a mistake.  

The elections should be held in an independent state. We are a colony of Russia today. We should realize this, because we will have to fight for our freedom. Army command is partially in the hands of Moscow. Moscow owns a considerable part of enterprises and transnational companies. There is a postulate in politics: if you own infrastructure, you own the territory. The current regime is an occupation regime. It explains its behaviour. One cannot vote in a colony.