"If some of opposition parties participate in parliamentary elections under the existing electoral law, they will just display themselves as clowns in Alexander Lukashenka's show", the ex-presidential candidate Dmitry Uss said in an interview with UDF.BY, commenting on the president's statements, that there won't be changes in the work of election commissions and the Central Election Commission before the parliamentary elections in 2012.
Correspondent of UDF.BY learned from the opposition, whether they intend to participate in parliamentary elections 2012, and tried to understand what is a political boycott in Belarusian.
Dmitry Uss, the ex-presidential candidate:
- The electoral legislation, which is available at the moment, allows the president to appoint deputies. That what happens and has happened in Belarus have no relation to elections. Commissions are formed by executive authority, which writes the final protocols. Lukashenka has a list of 110 deputies, which he will give district administrations, and they will officiously execute his commission. In such circumstances I won't slate certainly.
But! There is Constitution, which allows you to collect 50 thousand signatures and try to amend the Electoral Code. I think we will gather much more! Regardless of the president and the National Assembly. I plan to start the campaign in January.
Vital Rymasheuski, the co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party:
- The practice of living in Belarus shows that there is no reason to trust Lukashenka's statements. If he says that there are no changes in electoral laws, it doesn't mean anything. There are tools to influence legislation and government. Now all the opposition forces should unite and try to make these changes.
If the state power remains deaf to our demands, then I don't see any sense to participate in these elections. In this case, we need to conduct the active campaign to boycott the elections. By the united front. The entire opposition.
Aleksei Yanukevich, the BPF chairman:
- The particular decision on taking part in elections or boycotting them will be made later, closer to the date of the elections. Many aspects will be important here: whether they release the political prisoners, whether there will be changes in legislation and what is the public mood.
In case there are not positive changes in comparison with the current situation, the best solution for the opposition is the active boycott. It is particularly important that this boycott was supported by all opposition forces without exception, and to let people know the reasons why we don't participate in the elections and what are the demands we put forward. We shouldn't forget that now the main problems interested to people are in the economic sphere, and the main focus is to be made on their solution.
Anatoly Lebedko, the chairman of the UCP:
- We will participate in the elections in any way. Will we nominate candidates or boycott the parliamentary elections? Depends on the conditions in which the election campaign will be held. Since 1995 the elections have been changed to assignments. If the situation doesn't move from this dead point, the most likely that the majority of political actors will choose the boycott.
It is now crucial to build relations with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. To present our position on the elections and to hear a response.
