Ramanchuk, Sannіkau and Nyaklyayeu to elaborate debates requirements togeth

The Belarusian State Broadcasting Company has announced its intention to organize pre-election debates.

"The debates will take place because it corresponds to the law. We are working on our internal schedule at the moment in order to provide their organization on a required level”, - said the deputy head of the campaign Alyaksandr Salamaha.

The rules of the TV debates have not been elaborated yet. The secretary of Alyaksandr Zimouski has informed us that there is nothing to comment on at the moment:

"Alyaksandr Leanіdavіch said there was no plan of the debates so he could not comment on it. He advised asking the Central Election Commission about it”.

The CEC secretary Mikalai Lazavik told ERB that there was no protocol according to which the debates could be conducted in Belarus:

"Zimouski has only expressed his personal opinion about the way the debates should be conducted. The decision has to be taken by the CEC. So the final variant may be a little different. Or it may differ from the suggestion a lot”.

According to the head of the CEC Lidziya Yarmoshyna, the TV debates will most likely last for an hour. There will be more than two participants at a time and it will resemble a blitz questioning where “candidates will be able to share their opinion about the most important issues in the country’s life”.

The future participants of the debates have an ambiguous opinion about the project. Most of them are watchful:

"It has turned out they are going to record the debates, - says Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu. – In this case the main part will not be played by a candidate or someone else, not even Prakopau [presenter of the First National Channel and possible moderator of the debates. – ERB’s note], it will be played by cutting!”

"You can cut a programme in a way that you will not recognize yourself in the end, - Yaraslau Ramanchuk shared his experience with ERB on his way to a picket. – I took part in TV debates in 2006 when I represented a candidate. We said one thing in the studio and we saw something very different on the BT later!”
That is why Yaraslau Ramanchuk will probably not agree to take part in recorded debates. However, Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu thinks that there is no reason for such a flat refusal:

"I have phoned the other candidates: Sannikau and Ramanchuk. I have suggested making a joint statement: our opinion should also be taken into account. It should only be a live broadcast so that nothing is misrepresented. People should see the reality – they should see the person talking to them, they should hear what candidates say, how they say it and in what situations they do it. They should not see it after it has been changed with the help of technical equipment”.

Mr. Nyaklyayeu would also accept a variant of watching the recorded debates and discussing the final programme before it is broadcast. Ryhor Kastusyou will join the debates even if they are recorded:  
"I will have to accept it if there is no alternative”.

Vital Rymasheuski will take part in the TV debates if the First Channel does not invent anything absurd:

"I do not see any sense in refusing from the debates. Of course the format that will be chosen by our TV is important. Of course, it may be unacceptable. But time will show. I see no reason to refuse now”.

Ryhor Kastusyou hopes TV presenters will be brave enough to invite him. He also thinks candidate #1 will ignore the debates: “He will be scared”.

Picture by: Mіkalai Krutsіkau.