Election watch: Curious things about opposition candidates
Euroradio offers our rankings of curious things of the presidential campaign. The presidential campaign is yet to kick off, but political fuss has already given birth to numerous curious things.
1. Yaraslau Ramanchuk was nominated by his colleagues from the United Civil Party on condition that he is going to get married urgently. Yaraslau takes as a joke. "This was not a condition; it was a recommendatio from friends. I treated it in the spirit of partnership", he said.
It turned out the advice was a joke or may be a PR move as Ramanchuk had had a fiancee by the moment of nomination.
2. The second place goes to the fuss around the single candidate. Three coalitions are picking their onw single candidate: Belarusian Independence Bloc (BIB), Council of Belarusian Intelligentsia and Leftist Forces.
BIB includes Movement for Freedom, Party of Belarusian Popular Front and Belarusian Christian Democracy. The Council of Intelligentsia is "ruled" by United Civil Party leader Anatol Lyabedzka and European Coalition leader Mikola Statkevich. The left is dominated by Fair World.
In the view of Lyabedzka, there is nothing funny about picking three single candidates, because nobody will be elected anyway. It is yet premature to make any sense. "Real negotiations (about the single candidate from the opposition) will begin after the procedure of registration of candidates kicks off", he said.
But today's efforts to pick the single one will not disappear. The strategy and a plan of actions will be worked out, in the view of Lyabedzka. This view is shared by Popular Front leader Alyaksey Yanukevich. "When there are three major potential candidates (one from the right; one from the left and one from intelligentsia), it can become a basis for further negotiations", he said.
The situation is interesting on the left flank. They are allegedly not going to nominate the single candidate. At the same time, they don't rule out a common candidate, says Valery Ukhnallyou, deputy chairman of Fair World. "We take part in all consultations associated with closing in towards the single candidate. If it does not work out, the leftist forces may nominate their own candidate", said Ukhnalyou.
Fair World said recently that either party leader Syarhei Kalyakin or his deputy Valery Ukhnalyou could be nominated.
3. Another curious thing surrounding the picking of the single candidate is that Christian Democratcs are picking him both with BIB abd the Council of Intelligentsia. Belarusian Christian Democracy co-chairman Vital Rymasheuski maintains it makes sense. "What we have been doing has already yielded results. We have managed to agree with Anatol Lyabedzka and Mikalai Statkevich on the principal moments of electing the single candidate. Therefore, we will not refuse from working with everyone and talking to everyone. Where we can walk together, we will walk together", Rymasheuski said.
But it is hard to say for how long BIB and BCD can walk together in the issue of picking the single candidate. Rymasheuski says: "If the procedure of nominating the single candidate is not agreed on by June 15, we will begin nominating the single one with those organizations that agree to start today".
4. The situation also look akward when two candidates are going to run from the same party. Popular Front picked Ryhor Kastusyou, while Lyavon Barscheuski plans to run on his own. Social Democrats put forward army Gen. Valery Fralou, but but police Gen. Mechyslau Hryb also thinks about his nomination. Their chairman Anatol Lyaukovich sees only one way out of this situation.
“The party will make this decision. The party can make any decision. "If you wish to run regardless of the position of the party, we suggest that you leave our ranks", he said.
Ryhor Kastusyou from Popular Front admits the situation is akward. He said: "The situation does not look very good. I have not yet talked to Lyavon Barscheuski, but I think we will meet and sort this situation out".
Yet, he does not want to expel Barscheuski from the Popular Front.
Photo: Zmitser Lukashuk, http://bymedia.net/
1. Yaraslau Ramanchuk was nominated by his colleagues from the United Civil Party on condition that he is going to get married urgently. Yaraslau takes as a joke. "This was not a condition; it was a recommendatio from friends. I treated it in the spirit of partnership", he said.
It turned out the advice was a joke or may be a PR move as Ramanchuk had had a fiancee by the moment of nomination.
2. The second place goes to the fuss around the single candidate. Three coalitions are picking their onw single candidate: Belarusian Independence Bloc (BIB), Council of Belarusian Intelligentsia and Leftist Forces.
BIB includes Movement for Freedom, Party of Belarusian Popular Front and Belarusian Christian Democracy. The Council of Intelligentsia is "ruled" by United Civil Party leader Anatol Lyabedzka and European Coalition leader Mikola Statkevich. The left is dominated by Fair World.
In the view of Lyabedzka, there is nothing funny about picking three single candidates, because nobody will be elected anyway. It is yet premature to make any sense. "Real negotiations (about the single candidate from the opposition) will begin after the procedure of registration of candidates kicks off", he said.
But today's efforts to pick the single one will not disappear. The strategy and a plan of actions will be worked out, in the view of Lyabedzka. This view is shared by Popular Front leader Alyaksey Yanukevich. "When there are three major potential candidates (one from the right; one from the left and one from intelligentsia), it can become a basis for further negotiations", he said.
The situation is interesting on the left flank. They are allegedly not going to nominate the single candidate. At the same time, they don't rule out a common candidate, says Valery Ukhnallyou, deputy chairman of Fair World. "We take part in all consultations associated with closing in towards the single candidate. If it does not work out, the leftist forces may nominate their own candidate", said Ukhnalyou.
Fair World said recently that either party leader Syarhei Kalyakin or his deputy Valery Ukhnalyou could be nominated.
3. Another curious thing surrounding the picking of the single candidate is that Christian Democratcs are picking him both with BIB abd the Council of Intelligentsia. Belarusian Christian Democracy co-chairman Vital Rymasheuski maintains it makes sense. "What we have been doing has already yielded results. We have managed to agree with Anatol Lyabedzka and Mikalai Statkevich on the principal moments of electing the single candidate. Therefore, we will not refuse from working with everyone and talking to everyone. Where we can walk together, we will walk together", Rymasheuski said.
But it is hard to say for how long BIB and BCD can walk together in the issue of picking the single candidate. Rymasheuski says: "If the procedure of nominating the single candidate is not agreed on by June 15, we will begin nominating the single one with those organizations that agree to start today".
4. The situation also look akward when two candidates are going to run from the same party. Popular Front picked Ryhor Kastusyou, while Lyavon Barscheuski plans to run on his own. Social Democrats put forward army Gen. Valery Fralou, but but police Gen. Mechyslau Hryb also thinks about his nomination. Their chairman Anatol Lyaukovich sees only one way out of this situation.
“The party will make this decision. The party can make any decision. "If you wish to run regardless of the position of the party, we suggest that you leave our ranks", he said.
Ryhor Kastusyou from Popular Front admits the situation is akward. He said: "The situation does not look very good. I have not yet talked to Lyavon Barscheuski, but I think we will meet and sort this situation out".
Yet, he does not want to expel Barscheuski from the Popular Front.
Photo: Zmitser Lukashuk, http://bymedia.net/
