Dzmitryyeu: Lyabedzka stole our idea to become candidate by all means

The idea to make political prisoner Mikola Statkevich the single opposition candidate was announced by Anatol Lyabezka at a press conference in Minsk on November 25.

"We will support him. We are ready to make him the single candidate but we understand that he will not be registered,” Lyabedzka claimed.

The other politician that will be supported by the UCP is… Anatol Lyabedzka. He still has the right to withdraw his candidacy from the elections.

Interestingly, the idea to make Mikola Statkevich (imprisoned since 2010) the single opposition candidate belongs to Tell the Truth. Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu announced it at the beginning of August. The UCP used to be skeptical about Stakevich’s candidacy and was also reluctant to sign the agreement to conduct the Congress of Democratic Forces. Deputy leader of Tell the Truth Andrei Dzmitryyeu openly calls it a theft.

Andrei Dzmitryyeu: “Before Lyabedzka stole the idea, Nyaklyayeu had said that it was important that everyone supported it. It was necessary to work with the society together to present the idea to people. Now Anatol Lyabedzka wants to reduce the support by 7 times in comparison with what we suggested. He is doing it to become a candidate himself. Why wouldn’t he be a man and openly say that he wants to be a candidate and does not want to take part in the Congress because he is not sure that he can win it? We would understand it and move along.”

Euroradio wondered whether Tell the Truth or the coalition People’s Referendum were ready to support Lyabedzka in his intention to make Mikola Statkevich the single candidate and join the campaign. However, Lyabedzka has made himself Statkevich’s ‘double’, Dzmitryyeu noted. “I see no sense in supporting Lyabedzka in order to support Statkevich,” he said. The double must be chosen by the Congress and Lyabedzka has refused to take part in it.

Nevertheless, it is too early to call it a day, Dzmitryeyu believes. The candidate may still be chosen and the Congress may be held.

Andrei Dzmitryyeu: “It depends on Anatol. He may either sign the agreement on December 1 or he may refuse to do it.”

If he signs it, the Congress will be held and Statkevich’s double will be elected there. We asked Statkevich’s wife Maryna Adamovich whether the political prisoner was aware of the idea to make him the single candidate.

Maryna Adamovich: “Of course, he knows about Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu’s initiative, he wrote to him and I sent him the information too. He supported the idea and agreed to it.”

Maryna Adamovich does not know what Mikola Sttakevich will say now when the UCP has taken over Nyaklyayeu’s initiative.

Photo: Zmitser Lukashuk.