Radio Svaboda: Sannikov assembled largest audience in Hrodna (Photo)

The meeting was held in an overcrowded assembly hall of Hrodna Regional Philharmonic Hall.

The hall sits eight hundred people, but aisles were crowded as well, and some even had to listen to the candidate for presidency in the lobby of the building, Radio Svaboda informs.

Anderi Sannikov arrived to the meeting in Hrodna with his electioneering agents: a politician Stanislau Shushkevich, an economist Leanid Zlotnikau, the first defence minister Pavel Kazlouski.

The speech of Andrei Sannikov was short. He spoke about the necessity of political reforms: separation of powers, economic changes – a necessity of privatization, development of medium and small business, social protection of the population, education and health care system, pensions and so on.

He gave examples of how such reforms were held in the Eastern European countries, and urged not to fear reforms.

Besides economy issues, Hrodna dwellers were interested how to prevent rigging the election results; some voters offered facts of how electoral fraud was held before.

“We are near to the change of power as never before, and it is a personal problem of those who are writing protocols, how they will live in the future. They should consider that, as if a person rigged a protocol, he commits a criminal act,” the candidate noted.

Andrei Sannikov expressed his opinion on a single candidate. He believes that the today’s situation with 9 alternative candidates is more advantageous, as they reach a greater number of voters. As said by him, the main objective is to defend the victory together, and for that he urged Hrodna dwellers to come to the Square in Minsk.

As for the latest visit of Lukashenka to Moscow, according to Andrei Sannikov, the Kremlin has taken advantage of the situation, and most likely, the signed agreements on the Customs Code are not beneficial for Belarus. But he attracted attention to the fact that the Belarusian people are not on top of issues concerning what is done on their behalf in the international scene.

Andrei Sannikov expressed his opinion on the statements of the Lukashenka’s administration head Uladzimir Makei, noting that it is provocation and intimidation, and people in Belarus are used to it.

The meeting lasted for an hour and a half exactly, as agreed with the management of the Regional Philharmonic Hall. Andrei Sannikov had not enough time to answer all questions, and he continued talking to people in the lobby for a long time. And these are the words of voters after the meeting with the candidate:

A man: “A very good meeting, the candidate speaks wisely, intelligently, persuasively, and I want to believe this man, and I shall vote for him.

A second man: “I think he is one of the best candidates.”

A woman: “We feel that he is not simply a man, who hungers for power, but he wants to change the system, he is sincere.”

A second woman: “And he cares for pansioners.”