9:49 am, August 3, 2020 – Source: Meduza
Valery Tsepkalo (Valeryy Tsapkala), one of two leading Belarusian oppositionists who’s been denied candidacy in the country’s upcoming presidential election, has addressed a letter to 32 heads of state calling on them to support “free and fair presidential elections in Belarus.” The news agencies Dozhdand Interfax have published excerpts from Tsepkalo’s text.
“The authorities in Belarus are actively impeding free and fair presidential elections and exerting coercive pressure on everyone who wants fairness and transparency in the electoral process,” Tsepkalo wrote in his letter, calling on world leaders to draw attention to repressive government policies in Belarus. He also urged foreign states to organize an international election monitoring campaign and ensure transparent voting by Belarusian nationals on their territory.
According to Tsepkalo, the Belarusian opposition seeks to replace President Alexander Lukashenko (Alyaksandr Lukashenka) with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya (Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya), who will promptly free all political prisoners and call a new free and fair presidential election within three to six months, allowing all opposition candidates to participate in the race.
Tsepkalo sent his letter to the presidents and prime ministers of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Ukraine, Armenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Georgia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and other nations. He did not send the letter to Vladimir Putin or any Russian leader.
In voting on August 9, Lukashenko will seek a sixth consecutive presidential term. The country’s Central Election Commission previously barred his two main competitors: — Valery Tsepkalo and Victor Babariko (Viktar Babaryka). Babariko was charged with money laundering, tax evasion, and bribery. Fearing arrest, Tsepkalo fled Belarus, first to Moscow and then to Kyiv.
Since Babariko’s arrest and election officials’ refusal to register Lukashenko’s main rivals, Belarus has witnessed mass protests, including some violent clashes with riot police, who have arrested several hundred demonstrators.
His lines are drawn pretty clearly with the little Moskali blackmailer. Just ignore him. Ah, those that live near the invader-nation know it best.
Unfortunately dictators never leave office voluntarily. There’s not even one example in history.
Nobody told Yanukobytch to leave, many people wanted to speak with him ;))
Maybe Lukashenko can shack up at Yanukobytch’s zoo in the Rostov…
Since Russians despise democracy and love dictators: the more murderous the better, putler’s got to be smoked out with crushing sanctions. If seizing his money from criminal jurisdictions upsets people like the Swiss, fuck them; they are filthy crooks. And of course Britain and America could play a huge part by seizing all Russian property and capital on their territories. Ain’t gonna happen, k sozhaleniyu!
I think this guy wasted a lot of ink, sending letters to the likes of Italy, Hungary, Armenia, France and Germany.
Rainbow dream talk. If Putler won’t get his will, he will invade. Did this lunatic ever think about this scenario?
I wish him well and I admire his courage and patriotism. He knows what cuts at Putler and that’s freedom. So Putler invades and he is a martyr.