The BPF and UCP find elections not transparent and undemocratic.
Two Belarusian parties decided on Saturday to withdraw from parliamentary elections campaigns in protest against the undemocratic nature of the elections.
The two parties — the United Civil Party (UCP) and the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) — stated the non-fulfillment of their requirements to nominate the candidates.
In the beginning of the campaign, the BPF set two major requirements for its participation: the release of all political prisoners and inclusion of all party’s representatives in election commissions. Neither requirement was satisfied.
The UCP noted previously they would participate until the end if all the political prisoners were released and rehabilitated; there is no forced voting; the election commissions were formed transparently.
However, the appeals were not heard and it was decided to withdraw all candidates at a party convention.
Vasil Ramanau, a BPF member, pointed out that the withdrawal of candidates would bring nothing but harm. “Our decision [to withdraw candidates] will provide the authorities with the opportunity to falsify the results of the elections because opposition candidates will not participate in them.”
Vadzim Saranchukou, another BPF member, said: “Our decision on participation in the elections was correct. We set the authorities conditions for our participation,” he said. “If we depart from them, we’ll lose the trust of the public, which is so difficult to gain.”
In total, the BPF withdrew 31 parliamentary candidates.
However, such turn could have made the authorities nervous. Thus, the head of pro-Lukashenka analytical centre EcooM Siarhiej Musijenka suggests fining candidates for groundless withdrawals and banning them to be nominated in the future.
Musijenka called such tactic “disrespect” for the voters.
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