Andrei Sannikov: “A strong democratic candidate is needed”

The council of Belarusian intellectuals wants to become a base for selecting a single opposition candidate. The European Belarus leader flatly refused to cooperate with the council.

The council session decided to hold a round table discussion on proposing a single opposition candidate to the presidential elections. Politicians Mikalai Statkevich, Vitaly Rymasheuski, Lyavon Barshcheuski, Alyaksandr Yarashuk and Alyaksandr Kazulin, present at the session, agreed with the proposal. Representative of the For Freedom movement Viktar Karnyaenka said his organization would announce its position on the presidential elections in late April.

Andrei Sannikov, the leader of European Belarus civil campaign, resolutely refused to cooperate with the council. The politician, who has already announced his presidential ambitions, explains reasons for the refusal to Euroradio:

“I do not see any sense of participating. Firstly, I see manipulations here. Secondly, I do not see any results. Thirdly, I don’t think it will help to carry out a real strong presidential campaign,” Andrei Sannikov said.

According to Sannikov, a strong democratic presidential candidate is needed. It is a secondary matter weather it will be a single candidate.