AFN: Makei’s support team at parliamentary election growing
- 31.01.2012, 10:38
Yet another Belarusian oppositional aquarium has decided on its mid-term plans, and namely on the format of their participation in the upcoming process of picking the most deserving ones for a deputy’s mandate.
The movement of a political pensioner Alyaksandr Milinkevich, “For Freedom”, has chosen the cozy side of the barricade. At this election, just like at the two previous ones, they will take part in the election according to the scenario of the authorities in power, AFN reports.
Thus, last Monday, January 30, the council of “For Freedom” movement, as it was expected, announced its main aims in participation in the parliamentary campaign: “to offer an alternative to the today’s regime”, one should understand an informational one, and “to increase support of the democratic community by the wide public.”
The instruments for attaining the goals are to become “informational and agitation campaigns of candidates, communication with people, picketing, speeches in state-run mass media.” At the same time, the movement is ready to support all candidates “who are alternative to the regime”, both independent ones and those who represent political parties, under a condition that such political players (pawns) “share the values and goals of the movement”, “have a high public standing and capabilities.”
In the end of the electoral farce “For Freedom” movement offers “every candidate of the democratic forces to withdraw their candidatures before the voting starts, in case there are still political prisoners in the country, and the policy of implementing the electoral legislation would not improve considerably.”
As for the second condition, there is no use veneering the electoral legislation, considering the amendments adopted in the country, for instance “do not flock in the groups of more then three persons”, imposed fines for access to politically incorrect websites, crackdown on independent mass media. No matter how the practice of applying electoral laws would be glossed over by liberal and democratic makeup. At the output, there will be North Korea with a European grin all the same, but this axiom does not perplex “For Freedom” members.
The wording of the first condition is curious as well. Milinkevich and company will be fully satisfied in case the authorities release the rest of political prisoners, but they are not concerned by a) the occasion of another prisoner of conscience, for instance, release of A. Sannikov for the sake of talks with the IMF on the new loan, and a possibility of emerging of a new group of “political tourists” in the sanitary institution called “the KGB remand prison” right after polling stations are closed.
Success of any marathon, as an event, is judged by a number of participants who toeing the starting line. The number of persons who fell out of the race influences only the appraisal of the marathon winner. The more people had not crossed the finishing line – the more valuable the victory is.
The council of Milinkevich’s movement, and the politician himself, understand that perfectly well, but they prefer to play the game of democracy according to the scenario of Makei. It is more glamorous, cozy, comfortable and lucrative.