Independent candidate for deputy Alyaksandr Rubchenya: “I do not want to participate in regime’s games”

• 15.08.2008, 13:00

A private entrepreneur Alyaksandr Rubchenya withdraws from the “elections” and urges pro-democracy activists not to participate in the elections farce.

The businessman from Homel wanted to participate as an independent candidate and collected 1,500 signatures in his support. However, he stated his intention “to withdraw from elections”.

“I do not want to participate in dirty games of the regime. Rigging of the election results is obvious. Only a few democratic candidates have become members of precinct election commissions. It is clear their opinion will be neglected. It is also clear for me that no one from private business would be elected to the parliament, and more laws would be adopted destroying private entrepreneurs, as before. My daughter is 16, and she lived 14 out of them under the regime of Lukashenka. Today she has no future. And I want our children to have prospects. I won’t be able to achieve something though a “pocket” parliament. It will be as tame as the present one evidently,” Alyaksandr Rubchenya said to the Charter’97 press-centre.