Goncharik’s Fellow-Countrymen Will Vote for Him :: Charter'97 :: News

Most villagers of Avgustovo, Logoisk district, intend to vote for their countryman Vladimir Goncharik. Radio Svaboda correspondent visited the home village of the unique candidate from wide public coalition of Belarus.

Avgustovo is a village of a few hundred households, located five kilometers away from Logoisk. Nina Andreeevna Goncharik lives in a small village house in Dzerjinskogo street. An 82-year old lady is busy with ordinary village affairs. Despite her elderly age, the old woman lives by herself. Her husband – a primary school teacher – died some twenty years ago. Vladimir is her elder son. “Nice lad. When he comes here, he does all the work on his own. He can cut wood, saw and carve. He also mows well. An all-round expert, you know. But that’s natural for him – he was brought up in the village.”

In 1994 Nina Danilovna voted for Lukashenko. “I didn’t know anything, but now I know for sure – they will rig it anyway. I used to work myself in electoral commissions and I understand how simple it is to falsify the result.” As concerns her son’s decision to run for the presidency, she prefers not to interfere, saying that it’s his personal decision and that he’s well able to solve the task. Nina Danilova, just like any loving mother, worries a lot about her son.

The electoral topic is being discussed in Avgustovo both in the kitchens and in the streets. The overwhelming majority of villagers claim they will vote for their neighbor. “We won’t vote for anyone but him. Goncharik is one of us. We lived seven years under Lukashenko and what did we get at the end? Now it is even worse than during Soviet times. I’m convinced that he will at least help our village. And not only us, but the whole country he will lead out of deadlock and we will all live well,” – said 26-year old local resident Dmitry Bogatischev.

Here’s the opinion of Svetlana Yatskova, who works in cultural sphere: “We’ll cast our votes for Goncharik and him alone. Who knows, may be the life will get better.”

“I will vote for Goncharik. What did Lukashenkp do for me? Never in my life could I fancy that I would have to walk in patched trousers and holey quilted jacket. Lukashenko reigned for 7 years and what did he give us?” – inquired pensioner Guts.