State radio refuses to broadcast Nyaklyayeu’s songs

Employees of the Belarusian State Radio have refused to broadcast the song written for Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu’s verse. He wanted it to be broadcast during his speech. The politician informed about it at a meeting with independent journalists. Nyaklyayeu: "I told them in the radio today: “It’s boring! I worked in radio and I know that mumbling in front of a microphone is boring. I have a song and I suggest broadcasting a few passages so that people have fun listening to the radio at 6 a.m.”. “No, - they said, - you have to be equal to the others”. I said that it did not mean I was not equal! If everyone could write verses they could read them aloud. If somebody is good at dancing let them dance on TV. But they refused. I asked what they would have done if Lukashenka had come and expressed a desire to sing. And they said: “But he does not compose any songs!”.

Furthermore, Nyaklyayeu said that they had refused to present him a record of his speech. According to him, studio employees disappeared when he made this request.

According to the head of Nyaklyayeu’s election team Andrei Dzmitryyeu, they have already sent a letter to the CEC chairperson Lidziya Yarmoshyna. Politicians demand to give the candidates the right to choose the format of their speeches in mass media themselves. Nobody should indicate what they have to do, what they should say and whether they can sing, read aloud verses or broadcast songs on air.