Opposition forces should offer an alternative not only on paper, Alyaksandr Milinkevich, leader of the Movement for Freedom who plans to run in the forthcoming House of Representatives election, told reporters in Minsk on Monday.
"If people don’t trust us, we should talk to them. Now we have a good chance to do this and we should use it," the former presidential candidate said.
According to him, many people did not understand his decision to run in these elections after he refused to be a candidate in a presidential election in 2010. He said that he had made this decision at the last minute. "People are disappointed at everything and not only at the authorities," he said. "Given this overwhelming apathy, there should emerge people who propose their ideas."
According to him, 18 percent of voters in the electoral district in Minsk where he plans to be on the ballot support the Lukashenka government. "The opposition has little bit more support, but not more than 50 percent," he said.
Mr. Milinkevich said he was glad that "people have become more conscious." "Formerly, many said that I was an enemy, that is, they said what they had heard from Belarusian state television channels," he said. "At present there are more thoughtful people. The public is becoming increasingly ready for change. We should understand that everybody is responsible for what is going on and for the future of the nation."
