Candidates for presidency frustrated authorities’ scenario and urged Belarusians to rally on Square

During the televised debate at BT channel oppositional candidates called upon Belarusians to gather on the square on December 19 at 8 p.m. and defend their right for choice.

Before the beginning of the televised debate it became clear that the authorities had prepared a scenario which aim was to represent the candidates for presidency in the most unfavourable light. It was said in the clips showed by the state-owned Belarusian TV channel BT that the viewers were going to see “9 identical candidates” and listen to “9 programmes”.

The organizers of the debates refused to tell the names of the presenters till the last moment, and refused to invite as a presenter a person suggested by the candidates, a teammate of Yaraslau Ramanchuk, a well-known economist Leanid Zaika. According to the rules of the debates, the presenter is to be suggested by candidates themselves. And in reality, the presenters were Yury Prakopau – the author of propagandistic and slanderous TV programmes about opposition at BT channel, and Andrei Kryvasheeu, who is as unscrupulous in terms of morals and journalistic skills.

The attitude to oppositional politicians was boorish. A worker of the BT who talked to the presidential candidates before the beginning, called them “guys”, and the candidates’ agents were not allowed into the studio and a room with monitors were not offered to them. The main expert of the security service of the BT Mikalai Lukjanau told that they had an order not to let the agents of the candidates into the TV studio. As a result, the agents were offered to sit in a room without monitors or to watch a TV set which is situated outside the compound of the BT.

“It was visible that they were awfully frightened. They understand how important the presence of the agents of the candidates during the debate is. Besides, many of them worked for TV previously, and could give advice concerning the light and picture. The script of the debates had been concealed, though it is told to participants before any talk-show. The conduct [of TV workers] was awfully boorish; however the candidates were not playing according to the scenario of the authorities,” told one of the chiefs of Andrei Sannikov’s campaign Zmitser Bandarenka.

Andrei Sannikov was the first who appear on air.

“I have come to the studio in order to use all possibilities offered to us to talk to you. You must understand that it is one more lie of the Belarusian television channel BT, it is not a debate. You must have seen real debates in films or on TV of other countries. However, I have come to express my respect, to thank you for support you are giving to me and other alternative candidates. And to say that Belarus has a historic chance today. The state machine is stuck, we won’t get far in it. It’s high time to replace the bald tyres. We all can change the life in the country. We can celebrate the New Year in a free Belarus. Belarusians have taken the wheel in the fate of their country many times. And now we have such a crucial chance again. We are making history! The history is created by us! And together we shall win!” said Andrei Sannikov in he beginning o the debate.

The presidential candidate Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu refused to take parting the debate, however he used a chance to call upon citizens to take to the streets on the voting day.

“It is in no way a political debate. A format of political debates is participation of the person in power and of those who pretend to power. Here we are, those who set up a claim to power, and where is the one who is to answer our questions? For instance, our questions are: why have we had a spat with Russia? Why there is no money in the country were people are working and working? Where is money? Who is stealing it? Who is to be asked these questions? Is it Sannikov? But we are together with him! We want to bring down this regime, which is not answering our questions! That is why, respect all of you, all those who are present here, I do not find any sense and see any point in this debate, and so I am leaving. On this occasion, I want to urges you once again to come to the Square; not to take part in the early voting, but to come to the Square on December 19. I invite respectable people, deputies of the Supreme Soviet of the 12th and 13th convocations to the Square. Let your work inspire people, fill them with faith and let order and security remain on the square. See you on the Square, where we also invite the person who has failed to come to the TV studio today to talk to us. Let us talk with him there, let us debate there,” Nyaklyaeu said.

The action of Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu made Andrei Sannikov applaud. The anchors started to insult the poet immediately, saying that Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu probably believes that his “bedside chest” could present his programme better. Kryvasheeu even tried to tell an obscene anecdote about lieutenant Rzhevski, however his loutish behavior was by other candidates, and he had to shut up. Vital Rymasheuski, a candidate of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, finally asked, where is Lukashenka: “maybe he is hiding behind Nyaklyaeu’s bedside chest and is afraid to come in sight?”

We remind that the Belarusian dictator had refused to take part in the debate with oppositional candidates. He prefers monologues on air of Belarusian TV channels, taking almost all time of BT every day.

The leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikalai Statkevich mentioned Lukashenka’s absence as well. The politician addressed Lukashenka directly.

“If we believe BT, you have a sky-high rating. So what are you fearing of? What is the problem? Hold a fair election. Cancel early voting, allow oppositionists to become members of election commissions and carry out the vote count openly. Then billions of dollars and Euro would flow to the Belarusian economy, and presidents and prime ministers of normal countries won’t shun you, on the contrary, they would queue to meet with you. But you are afraid to do so, please do not tell bedtime stories about your cool rating, your rating has gone down hopelessly!” Statkevich stated.

The anchormen Prakopau and Kryvasheeu tried to change the subject and make discuss alleged “pro-Russian bias” of some candidates. However the leader of the Belarusian Popular Front party Ryhor Kastusyou, who was asked to explain why he called Sannikov and Nyaklyaeu “pro-Russian candidates” in his address, ignored the provocation. The politician said that he had discussed that questions with those people personally, and refuses the help of the BT in this issue.

Then the BT presenters addressed the same question to Sannikov.

“Before this dishonest programme started, we agreed to ignore questions of those people who had not been chosen or agreed to by us. I am going to keep to this agreement. I want to address people and say: we cannot tolerate any more. We had been promised a life like in a paradise for 167 years. What have we come to? We have quarreled with all neighbours, we have taken so many loans which are a burden for the entire nation, and we won’t be able to pay them off. We are ashamed of Belarus, it is the last dictatorship in Europe. The nation has lost their right to choose. The nation has lost the right to control these authorities. We must return the rule of law to the country as soon as possible. And it is the main thing – people must be given a right of choice,” said the presidential candidate.

Andrei Sannikov addressed officers of the military forces, police, workers of the State Security Committee (KGB).

“You know the choice of people, you should simply obey the law. Just be citizens of your country. And very soon we will live in a free Belarus!”

During the debate oppositional candidates touched upon the topic of rigging election results on Belarus, called upon not taking part in the early voting, told about their electoral programmes and relations with Russia and the European Union. Everyone noted that living like this is impossible, the country needs changes and development, and under the present regime Belarus would face economic collapse and isolation.

In the end of the debate Andrei Sannikov, Yaraslau Ramanchuk, Vital Rymasheuski and Mikalai Statkevich called Belarusians to come to October Square on December 19 at 8 p.m.