Volha Mikalajchyk: Boycotting “elections” is only possibility to break Lukashenka’s strategy

It is not clear what the authorities are going to do with the empty polling stations on the polling day.

Charter97.org website has been told about that by a Belarusian filmmaker and a civil activist, Volha Mikalajchyk. She told what are going to be the key objectives of the opposition in the nearest time, according to her.

- I am going to fight for release of Mikalai Statkevich, an alarm bell should be tolled, – Volha Mikalajchyk said. Creation of an initiative group for his nomination as a presidential candidate was the only possibility to make a loud declaration about the person who had been festering behind the bars in Lukashenka’s GULAG for 5 years. The conditions in Belarusian prisons have not changed since 1937 – they are torture chambers. We have used this opportunity, we have created an initiative group, I have joined it, understanding that it is more likely that it would not be registered. What is next? We should press for registration using all the methods which are possible under the current conditions of the dictatorship, and to show the world that we do not have an institute of free elections. If we are not registered, we should declare boycott of the “elections.” It is the only possibility to break the strategy Lukashenka is used to, in any way. It is clear that students, army men and state employees will be forced to take part in the early vote, but anyway they make just a small percentage of people, as compared to the rest of the society.

I do not know what the authorities are going to do with empty polling stations. They can forge people’s signatures, they can “vote” for them, but it is not the way out. So the only way for us is boycott. We should not fear. Yarmoshyna once said: “Do not come to the Square – cook borsch.” And we are saying: “Do not take part in the false “election” – cook borsch.”

- The initiative group of Mikalai Statkevich includes politicians, who continue participation in the campaign. What would you recommend them?

- I am not a member of any groups of other candidates. I do not know the election agenda and plans of Anatol Lyabedzka. I have a good attitude to him as a human, he has come through prisons and tortures as well, and he is a decent man. But I can recommend him only one thing – to boycott the election. I can recommend the same to the rest of people – I do not even know who else is going to participate.

- You are actively promoting the idea of the “elections” boycott in your social networks’ accounts.

- Not everyone reads Facebook. Social networks are a rather specific thing. They are certainly doing their part, but it is not the main thing. Some people, who work and have families, do not have time to spend it in social networks. They return home from work and they are tired, they heads are full of questions, how to provide for their children, what could they be given to eat, as prices in the country are almost the same as in Norway, and salaries are beggarly. That is why supporters of boycott should work with their neighbours, colleagues at work and in educational institutions.

50,000 people were fired from heavy industry enterprises in our country. These people and their families are going to starve, they are sent to grass already. Everyone should come to one’s labour collective and tell why one should not participate in the “elections.” And certainly, people should take to the streets and ask questions to the government.