Statkevich calls on opposition to field one candidate per precinct

Ex-political prisoner Mikola Statkevich has called on the opposition in Belarus to nominate one candidate per electoral precinct during the parliamentary election campaign. He wrote this call in his Facebook acccount.

Fair vote count is non-existent during elections in Belarus but almost all political parties have decided to take part in the parliamentary election campaign this year, accordng to Statkevich.

He reminds that the opposition parties and organizations have already created six electoral lists but this is not the end yet. In his view, this is a losing strategy, because the authorities will field one candidate. "If in every precinct the single pro-governmental candidate competes wth six or seven opposition candidates, the latter will pull the protest electorate between themselves and the authorities will be able to win the election even if fair vote count were in place," argues the politician.

He wrote: "By refusing to nominate the single list of candidates, the opposition steals victory from itself." The parliament elected in these conditions will have huge chances to get international recognition, Statkevich argues.

In this situaion, Statkevich proposes to approve at the Congress of Pro-Democracy Forces the mechanism of nominating one the most prominent opposition candidate in every precinct. "If some opposition parties lack responsibility to unite, society should help them," Statkevich insists.