Opposition chooses single candidate from Milinkevich to Lukashenka

16/10/2014 - 10:45

BPF members have announced that their single candidate is... Alyaksandr Milinkevich, leader of the Movement For Freedom. This is the result of ‘the rating voting’ organized at a party meeting on October 11. At the same time, BPF leader Alyaksei Yanukevich is young enough to be able to take part in the presidential election in 2015 and has been re-elected party leader.

Yanukevich explained his ‘defeat by the foreign-policy situation.

Alyaksei Yanukevich: “The cost of any mistake has become very high in connection with the geopolitical changes in the region. The BPF Party keeps telling people the truth they may not be ready for. That is why is would be wise to support a person who sticks to our basic values but has a more acceptable image than the BPF Party. It is needed to be able to consolidate the society.”

Alyaksei Yanukevich

Anyway, the decision to support Alyaksandr Milinkevich is not final, Yanukevich told Euroradio. The final decision will be made by the party Seim.

Alyaksei Yanukevich: “There is still a year until the election. The political situation in Belarus and abroad may change and it may change the list of possible candidates.”

Interestingly, Milinkevich has not announced yet whether he is ready to take part in the election.

Alyaksandr Milinkevich

This is not the only interesting fact. The party of the left Fair World has sent a list of possible candidates to its members. The names on the list are rather interesting, deputy party leader Valery Uhnalyou confessed.

Valery Uhnalyou: “We have sent questionnaires to our party members: who they would support (besides their own candidate, party leader Syarhei Kalyakin – Euroradio). There were such names as Milinkevich, Nyaklyayeu, Fralou, Haidukevich (LDP leader – Euroradio). We have also asked our members about their attitude to supporting Lukashenka. We will see what they will answer.”

Valery Uhnalyou

Fair World has a lot of alternatives, he told Euroradio. The party may support the candidate suggested by the People’s Coalition: the Movement For Freedom, BPF, Tell the Truth and social democrats. They may also support Talaka’s candidate: UCP, four steering committees for the creation of different parties. They may even support Lukashenka.

Syarhei Kalyakin

The United Civil Party chose their candidate in May – Anatol Lyabedzka. However, the party is ready for a compromise, Leu Marholin assured.

Leu Marholin: “If the single candidate is chosen at the Congress of Democratic Forces, we will be ready to support him. Otherwise, we will support our own candidate.”

Leu Marholin

However, there is one more alternative: the coalition Talaka will suggest their candidate too. If he is supported by the majority, the UCP will also support him.

Anatol Lyabedzka

Tell the Truth has not answered our question about their candidate. There is still plenty of time, deputy leader Andrei Dzmitryyeu brushed Euroradio’s question aside.

Andrei Dzmitryyeu: “What will we do if we know the name now? Nobody knows. The People’s Referendum will choose its single candidate no matter whether the Congers is held or not. We will name the candidate in time.”