Mikola Statkevich: “We regard this election as farce and call Belarusians to come to Square”
3- 26.09.2008, 15:58
MP candidates, representing the European coalition, urged the citizens of Belarus to take part in the action of protest at October Square of Minsk on September 28.
It was said at a press conference in the BPF office today.
As Radio Svaboda reports, leader of the European Coalition Mikola Statkevich said the current election for the “house of representatives” was not honest and not democratic:
“We regard this “election” as farce. We address the Belarusian society and urge the people to come to October Square at 8.00 pm September 28 to demonstrate their protest. It is clear today what it will lead to. We participated many times in this pseudo-election, and the situation repeats now. We urge the international society not to recognise this “election” honest. We allow the candidates of the European List to withdraw from this “election” or to stop the election campaign. For those candidates, who will decide to go to the end, we recommend to concentrate on gathering facts of rigging of this “election”.
Mr Statkevich also said a group of candidates of the Europeans List would come to the Central Election Commission at Independence Square at half past noon the next day to express their attitude towards the “election campaign”.
It should be reminded that only 22 out of 63 representatives of the European List were registered. The central Election Commission didn’t registered Mikola Statkevich and coordinator of entrepreneurs’ block Ales Makaeu. Mr Statkevich said that per cent of unregistered applicants from the European List was unprecedented even for Belarus. According to Ales Makaeu, only 4 out of 20 entrepreneurs were registered:
There’s no “election”. Lukashenka has taught that the “parliament” doesn’t decide anything. I call, and patriot of Belarus call, all people, who make boycott, who understand this situation, to come to October Square just after closing of polling stations. Only public movement of the most active part of the population can give permission for the better future,” Ales Makaeu said.
