Lukashenko Never Cast Vote for His Candidate :: Charter'97 :: News

The very fact that during the election date the head of the country is resting at a mountain ski resort outside of the country, is regarded by opposition leaders as a sure proof of the fact that “local elections have little if any significance for the ruling regime”.

Vintsuk Vyachorka, BPF leader, explained this situation for BelaPAN in the following way: “Mrs.Ermoshina is an absolutely trustworthy head of the reliable state machine. And the state leader could afford himself some rest, which yet another time proves total insignificance of local elections for the state machine, created in 1996. We have no real local authorities, which is proven by Lukashenko’s departure to Sochi.”

“This fact one more time points out the little value of local elections in the regime’s eyes,” – said the Communist leader Sergei Kalyakin in an interview to BelaPAN: “That’s the reason why the local elections campaign failed – in average there was slightly over one candidate, registered per every voting constituency, while at most of them there was no alternative at all”.

The chairman of the United Civil Party Anatoly Lebedko is also convinced that “the absence of the head of state on the ballot day in the country shows his complete disregard for the local councils”. “The very fact that Lukashenko isn’t there in the country proves that they have created a system in Belarus, which controls the very course of elections. Moreover, one can control it even from outside of the country,” – underscored he.