Andrei Sannikov: We should not run for the presidency until the candidate is in jail

Belarusian opposition has no moral right to fight an election.

At night after the latest elections, recognized neither by the EU nor the USA, mass arrests and beatings of peaceful demonstrators took place. Seven of nine alternative candidates for the presidency turned to be imprisoned. One of them, Mikalai Statkevich (the leader of People’s Assembly) is still in jail. Andrei Sannikov, the last participant of presidential campaign in 2010, after two and a half years of imprisonment has been given freedom by authorities. The leader of civilian campaign “European Belarus” got freedom on April 14, 2012 but soon he had to leave the country and asked for political asylum in Europe. He and his family still live there.

A year before the presidential campaign in Belarus “the Voice of America” has decided to take a conversation with the politician on the ongoing political realias in the country and perspectives of the opposition at the elections in 2015.

- Mr. Sannikov, how are you feeling? Do you like Europe? Do you enjoy the life of a free person?

- The question is not quite correct. I’m on expatriation and it is not the life of a free person. Yes, I’m among free people in the free country…But…

- Do you miss your homeland?

- I have the only homeland. And definitely I want to be there.

- Speaking of homeland a few months ago in his interview for “the Voice of America” Aleh Vouchyk, a famous Belarusian civil rights activist, describing the situation in Belarus, stated that “there is nothing left but scorched earth”.

- I admit that this is the most difficult period for Belarusian opposition. But I can’t agree on the issue concerning only political opposition. As it also regarding the ongoing situation among civil rights activists, civil society and independent mass media.

- Some western analytics have recently criticized Belarusian Democratic Opposition for its inability to rally around a presidential candidate. What is the problem for it?

- We have never had a problem concerning the issue of presidential nomination. The main problem was how to avoid the dictatorship. This should be the main issue for political opposition, civil society, ordinary people, who would like to change the situation. These are catch issues and the main question is left unanswered: how to avoid the dictatorship.

- So what should be done?

- In any case, do not accept the dictatorship. It is a very dangerous moment now: the situation in Ukraine has made a great shift in political life in Belarus. People satisfied with Belarusian authorities use this situation to justify the existence of the dictatorship and their own well-being within its borders. That is way it’s necessary to seek the ways of total defying of the dictatorship and take a principal stand towards current authorities in Belarus.

- Nevertheless, Aliaksandr Lukashenka has been running the country for more than 20 years. And it is worth noting that the total defying is hardly effective.

- I would say that it is effective as only by means of this defying we do not observe more difficult situation: killed or imprisoned political opponents. Due to this position we managed to suspend politically related killings that unfortunately have been resumed in 2010.

- Do you mean the death of Aleh Babenin (the founder of charter97.org)?

- Definitely, yes. He was a friend of mine. His murder cast us again in the middle of 90s. We should remember that after December 19, 2010 people have almost been killed in jails. It should be pointed out that the many have narrowly escaped death with me among others.

- Who do you think should run for elections from opposition next year? Who is able to furnish some political capital the people could vote in favor of?

- I don’t view the situation from these categories. Now it has any sense neither to seek for the candidate, who will be under a total control of secret services, nor take into account any little possibility to run for presidency. I can see no way to change the situation playing to the marked scenario of elections.

- So do you mean that Belarusian opposition should not run the next presidency?

- Yes, I do. In other words, that is possible but without Lukashenka. That could have been a good opposition campaign: pro-elections without Lukashenka and pro-political jail delivery.

- Is the West able to promote it?

- It should be devoted to one’s principals. One cannot say that it should provide this dictator with support as he seems to be the lesser of two evils. There is no lesser evil. Recently we observe the melt down in relationships: Europe have cynically delisted people forbidden the country, people responsible for repressions, such as judges and KGB men. That is strange as still there are political prisoners in jails and Mikalai Statkevich is among them. You know, the opposition has no moral right to run for presidency while its main candidate is imprisoned.

- The other day the self-declared “Donetsk People’s Republic” has claimed to immediately hold another meeting in Minsk with OSCE, Russia, Ukraine and self-declared states’ representatives. In that context, what do you think of peace-making efforts of Aliaksandr Lukashenka?

- I can hardly name them as peace-making efforts. From the very beginning I have been against this kind of meetings in Minsk and so I have mentioned it before. It must be understood that Minsk has succeeded in recognition of militants and terrorists’ presence in Donbas. And in fact the interests of Ukraine have not been taken into consideration during so-called talks. At this time Ukraine just suffers losses. So you can observe the situation of how easily Kremlin denies the fulfilment of minimal commitments undertaken at these meetings. It will lead to lamentable results. Ukraine once announced that it would hold talks, if any, in case of the USA participation and without terrorists.

- Speaking on Kremlin, how could you comment on the relationship dynamics between Belarusian leader and Russian majors now?

- He is scared to death of Moscow. That is why he makes such statements both in the West and Ukraine’s address as he plays the role of one of the unrecognized armed gangs in eastern Ukraine. He understands that Moscow may dispose of him as it has done of the Girkins. So that is why he is trying to square the circle. He wants to harden repressions though they appear daily. People are constantly under pressure. It is practiced in order to leave fear among the society and to paralyze the actions of opposition. At the same time by means of lobbyists he flirts with the West and tries to justify himself to Kremlin for his maneuvers. It reminds the behavior of a person, who can be ousted of power, who is nervously looking for something and clinging to power rather than do something meaningful inside the country.

- What should happen for Belarus and its community to get political freedom?

- We should reconsider our relations to dictatorships. It has not happened yet. The right position is to provide Ukraine with a needed help and impose sanctions against Russia. Nevertheless, the relationships with Lukashenka and Aliev are considered as the lesser evil. That is wrong. I think that in the nearest future these approaches will change as Russia makes a strike at Europe. We all do hope that Ukraine will be independent and free, be beyond Moscow’s control and it will affect the situation in Belarus.