Andrei Sannikov: This is initiative of supporters of “legitimate dictatorship”

Lobbyists for Lukashenka realised an urgent need for a loud initiative that would imitate opposition activity being  safe for the regime.

Andrei Sannikov, the leader of the civil campaign European Belarus, spoke to Radio Svaboda about  the initiative of the Movement for Freedom, the civil campaign Tell the Truth and the BPF party that was announced yesterday in Minsk.

“Unfortunately, the 'troika' confirms its image of supporters of the 'legitimate dictatorship'. Loud statements again appear ahead of upcoming events in Europe. The session of the Euronest PA is scheduled for late May. The European Parliament is expected to make a serious step: to stop persuading the Lukashenka regime to agree on presence of the opposition in the Euronest PA and hold the session with representatives of the Belarusian opposition and without Belarusian MPs. In the context of Europe's flirting with Lukashenka, the decision looks as a step in the right direction and weakens positions of European lobbyists for the dictator.

These lobbyists realised an urgent need for an initiative that would imitate opposition activity being safe for the regime to distract attention from the principled talks about the Belarusian dictatorship at the Euronest session. The 'troika' is useful here. We haven't seen such things in the Belarusian politics yet: the public referendum without questions. Even Lukashenka would not think it up. It's strange to recall that some 'troika' participants spoke earlier about the 'new elections without Lukashenka'.

We should notice the principal, in my opinion, element of the initiative: strategic partnership of the 'troika' in the local, presidential and parliamentary 'elections'. Partners give us to understand that the elections in Belarus really exist and that they are not going to struggle for power, because partnership after the 'presidential elections' means that they don't expect changes in Belarus and don't plan to work for changes.

I think we will hear about other loud initiatives designed to distract attention of both Belarusians and the EU from the last dictatorship in Europe and the problem of political prisoners,” Andrei Sannikov said.

It should be reminded that the Movement for Freedom, the BPF party and the civil initiative Tell the Truth launched the campaign “Public Referendum” yesterday. Representatives of the three organisations said about strategic cooperation at a press conference. According to Uladzimir Niakliaeu, the cooperation will last for at least three election campaigns – local, presidential and parliamentary 'elections'.