Andrei Sannikov: “Make your fist step toward freedom” (Photo, video)

17.12.2010, 23:45

Andrei Sannikov continues to attract full audiences in Minsk. These people will soon come to the square.

Hundreds of Minsk residents visited a meeting with presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov in Minsk on December 17. The meeting was held in the assembly hall of gymnasium #23 on Melnikaite Street. People had an opportunity to meet with Sannikov’s team: first head of independent Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich, well-known film director Yury Khashchavatski, former minister of defense of Belarus Pavel Kazlouski, director of Free Theatre Mikalai Khalezin, head of presidential candidate’s campaign office Uladzimir Kobets, People’s Artist of Belarus Zinaida Bandarenka.

The large assembly hall was overcrowded. Even former aide to Alyaksandr Lukashenka and member of the “house of representatives” of the 1st and 2nd convocations Viktar Kuchynski came to the meeting. As Viktar Kuchynski admitted to charter97.org, he had never visited meetings with presidential candidates before.

The event was opened with speeches of the members of Sannikov’s team. Stanislau Shushkevich told why he supported Andrei Sannikov. Former minister of defense Pavel Kazlouski remembered how he had worked with Sannikov on nuclear weapons removal from Belarus and said he said he was ready to share a foxhole with this person. Then Kazlouski addressed to the audience: “I urge you to go to polls. Do not vote early. Vote on December 19 and come to the square. We are able to change the situation and begin a new life!”

Film director Yury Khashchavatski called on people to think about their future, the future of their children and their country. “These authorities rest on lumpens, who need just alcohol and snacks. The authorities can generate only lumpens. Start thinking! We are losing ourselves, our future, our country,” the film maker warned.

Head of Free Theatre Mikalai Khalezin shared a recipe of electing the president of the country. His humorous speech was often interrupted by laugh and applause.

“In order to understand what a president you need, you should give free scope to your imagination and try to imagine him in an unusual role. Fro instance, imagine him beside the British Queen. I cannot live with a person, who attempts to foist an ABC book on her. This touches upon madness. Or he can straighten her crown. I wait only for this. If we afford playing football in Vatican, why not straighten the crown? That’s why your country is not allowed anywhere. It’s because we have such a creature who attempts to hand round ABC books. We have already read the ABC book. Unlike him, we’ve read it to the end. We are in urgent need of a diplomat. We have not power for wars. He launched a war, but the population doesn’t understand who we are at war with and for what aims. I cannot see anymore a five-year-old boy-generalissimus. We have too many generalissimuses at power, but too few people who want to work for the benefit of the country. Let’s have a good life in the end,” Khalezin said.

Presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov told about his programme “Strong Belarus for Free People” and urged the Belarusians to resist the outrage and falsifications at this election.

“Belarus is called the last dictatorship in Europe. It’s a great shame, but it’s fair. The regime of Lukashenka is actually a dictatorial regime, which eliminated the Constitution and separation of powers. Belarus can be another country. We have a unique chance today. We are ably to defend our choice today. Yes, we understand their will be rigging, our votes are being stolen during the early voting, they will be stolen on the election day. But this shouldn’t influence our determination to defend Belarus, make it free, vote for your candidates on December 19 and come to the square at 8:00 pm to stand for our victory. I am sure we can do this. It’s in accordance with the law. Even the acting Constitution says the domestic legislation is subject to the international law. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads that every people has the right to elect power and defend this right,” Andrei Sannikov said.

The voters didn’t have questions, but expressed their complaints at the current authorities. They said how they had been waiting for an apartment for 21 years, how to live on 290,000 rubles of disability compensation, how they are forced to vote early. They questions were about the square, protest actions against electoral fraud, the way to save the country from the savage who had caught the power. There were many men, strong and decisive, at the meeting. They listened to the speakers carefully and became even more determined. Traditionally, the meeting ended with the words “See you on the square”.