Yarmoshyna must be imprisoned, but she is still speaking about “elections”

• 30.05.2011, 18:01

Presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov addressed to Belarusians from prison. He demands second round of elections. The head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) says the demand has no legal grounds.

Lidzia Yarmoshyna takes Sannikov’s appeal as an attempt to attract attention to his state, she said in an interview to Euroradio.

“Appeals to declare the election invalid are filed within three days after the voting day. But we should take into account that Sannikov was in jail then and was not able to lodge an appeal. The appeal was filed only by one candidate – Kastusyou. The appeal was considered at a CEC sitting when we were preparing to announce the election results. It was found groundless and dismissed. Sannikiv does not give any additional facts and he cannot do it. That’s why all Sannikov’s statements are a desire to attract attention of the world community to his state and bring policy in the criminal case.”

A second round of elections cannot be held, Yarmoshyna says, even if people support Sannikov’s statement and organize public actions on Independence Square demanding to continue the presidential elections. According to her, holding early presidential elections is possible only if the presidential post is suddenly vacated.

The CEC head says Sannikov can run in the next elections, but his conviction must be removed from his criminal record.