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Pavel Seviarynets: Running in “elections” both senseless and dangerous

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Pavel Seviarynets: Running in “elections” both senseless and dangerous

A ban on boycotting elections marks a new phase of tightening screws by the Lukashenka regime.

Pavel Seviarynets, a co-head of the organizing committee to create the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, spoke to charter97.org about the ban on calling to boycott “elections”.

“The so called parliamentary election was boycotted in 2012. It scared the authorities, and they banned calls for a boycott. It's clear that sanctions will be applied during the forthcoming local election to those telling about falsifications and calling for a boycott. All normal people in Belarus and abroad understand that the regime starts a new phase of tightening screws. Lukashenka calls absence of choice a democracy,” the former political prisoner said.

The politician thinks the opposition should use campaigns for their purposes.

“We don't have elections, it's obvious. There's no sense in voting. Casting a ballot is absolutely senseless in my view. The first thing the opposition should do is using a legal opportunity of talking to people during election campaigns. Secondly, they can organise alternative campaigns, create alternative and shadow governments, first on the local level and then on the national level. They also can formulate an alternative strategy. Running in fraudulent elections in both senseless and dangerous,” Pavel Seviarynets believes.

The law on amendments to the electoral legislation took force on December 8. The document was signed by Lukashenka on November 27.

Under the law, “parliamentary elections” will be held in one round, and calls to boycott elections will be banned.

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