Four candidates for Belarus presidency
It seems that the United Democratic Forces (UDF) will fail to nominate a single candidate for the presidential election campaign. With the polls scheduled for 2010, the Party of the Belarusian Popular Front has already stated that it is preparing its candidate. The former “single” opposition contender, Alexander Milinkevich is also voicing his presidential ambitions.
According to Lyavon Barshcheuski, the chairman of the Party of the Belarusian Popular Front, his deputies Ales Mikhalevich and Yuras Khadykan have already submitted their applications for running as presidential hopefuls on behalf of the party. However, the party’s aim is to have their member as the united opposition’s single candidate. If it doesn’t work out, Liavon Barshcheuski thinks that disobeying the UDP congress’s decisions could also be an option.
“Over the past 14 years in a row when the Belarusian Popular Front has not lined up our candidate apart from Zyanon Paznyak in 1994, I think the time has come. After all, we are the strongest party. We need to run with our own candidate. We count that our candidate should win as a single candidate of the United Democratic Forces. I would not rule out any possibility”.
Milinkevich also sees himself as a candidate and does not rule out disobeying the congress’s decisions.
“If the congress is going to be legitimate and I am going to take part, I will of course obey its decision. But when the congress is like it was in May last year, I don’t think it will be worth taking part in such a congress”, Milinkevich said.
The politician has already hired a team of spin doctors. He even has a campaign slogan. Yet, it is still very vague.
“I think that such words like the truth and freedom will remain, because that’s something we are all lacking. But I would also add the European values, the European choice: democracy, independence, human liberties, market reforms and Christian values”, Milinkevich says.
Anatol Lyabedzka, the leader of the united opposition, can get disappointed by his supporters.
“If it is going to be in the framework of the United Democratic Forces, this will not be a problem. If there are attempts to create 4-5 columns which will run with their own candidates, it will be a present to Mr Lukashenka”, Lyabedzka says.
In this situation, there could be no single opposition candidate at all. Siarhei Haydukevich, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, is definitely set to run. He says he does not need any spin doctors.
“I am the most famous person in Belarus. There is only the head of the state on top. I don’t need to think about my image. If I just get off my car, 90 percent of people nearby recognize me and smile at me. We have very good relations”.
Alexander Kozulin remains theoretically a potential candidate as well. But lawyer Mikhail Pastukhov almost dispersed the hopes for Kozulin’s return as a presidential contender. The politician is serving his 5.5-year prison term which will expire in 2011.
“Unless his conviction is cleared, he will not be able to register as a presidential candidate”, Pastukhov said.
In order to clear the conviction, a higher court needs to revise the sentence. Alternatively, the law-enforcement authorities that monitor the former convict after the release should file a request to cancel the conviction. Otherwise, conviction will be effective up to eight years, even if Kozulin is amnestied or pardoned.
Political analyst Uladzimir Matskevich does not think that elections could be a really massive event. He is also skeptical about new faces during the polls.
“I think that the list of serious candidates will not exceed 4-5 names. New faces should emerge, but the infrastructure of our political life makes it impossible to spin anyone off within this period of time”.
With almost two years to go, there are already four personalities with clear presidential ambitions: Milinkevich, Haydukevich, someone from the Popular Front against the single opposition candidate and Lukashenka. And this is just the beginning...
