Radio Svaboda: Sannikov meets full audience and ovation in Mahilou

Belarusian presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov held a meeting with voters in Mahilou yesterday.

The event in the Railway Workers’ Culture Center gathered over 500 people. It was the largest meeting with voters in Mahilou, Radio Svaboda reports.

Sannikov’s agents former minister of defense Pavel Kazlouski, former chairman of the XII Supreme Council Mechyslau Hryb, journalist Iryna Khalip also took part in the meeting. Each of them explained why they supported the candidate and why the current power should be changed. Iryna Khalip’s speech was the most expressive.

“The current power was lawful only first two years. All of us remember how Belarusians elected Alyaksnadr Lukashenka president. We remember how he swore on the Constitution, which he later defied. He destroyed the parliament and turned it into his chancellery. He is lying to us all the time,” Iryna Khalip said.

Andrei Sannikov made a 30-minute speech.

“My programme has a name ‘Strong Belarus for Free People’. These two things cannot exist separately. Our strategic aim is integration to the European Union. Preserving strategic partnership with Russia. Fulfill potential of our relations with Ukraine. Belarus has become an outcast. The country is called the last dictatorship of Europe due to Lukashenka. This is a shame, but these are fair words,” Andrei Sannikov said.

Sannikov was asked plenty of questions. Mother of many children Natallya Shkadun complained to the candidate. She went on hunger strike striving for better living conditions for her family.

Sannikov said he knew about her problem.

“I don’t know what I should do to help you. But I know for sure Lukashenka and his agents won’t help you. This is how Lukashenka treats his people,” Sannikov stressed.

He also answered a question why nobody had applied for holding a rally on December 19 and why this demonstration would be unauthorized.

“Even Lukashenka’s constitution mentions primacy of international law. In accordance with the international law, every people has the right to elect its leadership and protest against unfair fraudulent elections,” the Belarusian presidential candidate emphasized.

The meeting with Sannikov ended with shouts “Long Live Belarus!” and a storm of applause.

By the way, a meeting with Lukashenka’s agent was held in the Mahilou Building College at the same time. It was attended only by ten people.