CEC: Boycott, if you like. At your own expense
A minute on TV costs 6 million roubles for candidates. Nobody cares.
“I have always said it. The Election Code does not forbid boycotts. Boycott, if you like. But no free air time is allocated for it on TV and radio", - CECs secretary Mikalai Lazavik explained to me that it is not forbidden to appeal for an election boycott in Belarus.
Co-leader of the BCD Vital Rymasheuski describes his colleagues' adventures. Dzyanis Sadouski is one of the last BCD members punished for appeals to boycott the election - he was sentenced to 10 days in jail for pasting a leaflet on a stand.
Rymasheuski does not believe Lazavik's words about the possibility to appeal for a boycott on TV at your own expense. But he did not try buying air time on the BT.
A minute of air time costs 6 million roubles there. Air time in the radio is twice cheaper.
We asked political scientist Syarhei Alfer whether the tactics of a boycott chosen by some political parties is viable. The expert thinks that Belarusians will take part in the election regardless of their political views.
“Belarusian citizens are quite law-abiding. Furthermore, the administrative resource will exercise influence on them".
