University Rectors Electioneer for Lukashenko :: Charter'97 :: News

High-ranking state officials are so unsure of their patron’s victory that they use every opportunity available to plead with their subordinates to vote for Alexander Lukashenko. Rector of the Belarusian State University Alexander Kozulin, speaking before the students on the occasion of the beginning of the new academic year, has openly called on everyone to cast their votes for the incumbent. No wonder he did, for Lukashenko personally appointed him BSU rector.

Rector of the Belarusian state medical university Pavel Bespalchuk offered the students who commute to studies from outside Minsk to vote beforehand and leave home for the weekend. The students were told that on Friday they can also skip classes.

In the medical university the students from other towns had to put down on the sheet of paper their names, faculty, group and write whether they live at the dorm or somewhere else. Later rector Bespalchuk clarified that the lists of students were drawn only in order to know who of the students was present at the meeting.

“We will satisfy your requests, - underlined Mr.Bespalchuk: Please, go home for the weekend. It’ll be better this way both for you and the administration. I personally ask you to vote ahead of schedule. I already did.” A bunch of students tried to raise issues on the unlawfulness of the enforced voting, but the rector waved them off.