Young leaders call upon parties to withdraw their candidates from “elections”

• 29.08.2008, 15:07

Leaders of youth organisations have addressed leaders of oppositional parties with a call not to take part in the electoral farce.

The “elections campaign” is continuing in Belarus. The regime has many times promised that the elections will be free and democratic. But unfortunately, in reality everything is different, political prisoners are still remaining in the country, arrests of young people continue, the opposition hasn’t been allowed to join electoral commissions. None of the recommendations of the European Union has been fulfilled. None of the opposition’s demands has been fulfilled.

Instead of the long-awaited democratisation we witness repressions increase.

It is obvious that “parliamentary elections” planned for September 28, will be neither free no democratic. Another farce is expecting us. The opposition will be used in it only for legitimisation of the regime.

We address activists and leaders of the oppositional parties, democratic candidates for deputies with a call to withdraw their candidatures and not to take part in the deceiving of their own nation.

We address the governments of democratic countries with a call not to recognize the “parliamentary elections” and demand the Belarusian regime to fulfil 12 recommendations of the European Union.

We call upon the citizens of Belarus not to take part in the electoral farce on September 28, but to gather on the Square to demand really free and democratic elections.

Boycott to the “elections”! Boycott to the dictatorship!

Illya Bohdan, Moladz BNF

Zmitser Dashkevich, Young Front

Uladzimer Lemesh, “For Freedom” campaign

Pavel Yukhnevich, “Jeans for freedom!”