Elections in Belarus: which candidate supports Union with Russia
The electoral race in Belarus is coming to a climax in the country in full swing campaigning, primary election day scheduled for 9 August. Presidential candidates was five people, and each of them his vision of the development of relations with Russia and the West in the event of coming to power.
The five candidates, in particular, included the current Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who is running for a sixth term, former Deputy of lower house of Parliament Anna Konopacka, co-Chairman of public Association "Tell the truth" Andrey Dmitriev, Chairman of the Belarusian social democratic party "Hramada" Sergey Caraceni and unemployed Svetlana Tikhanovski, the wife of popular videoblogger Sergei Tikhanovski, who is in custody in criminal cases.
Most of these people are on the Pro-Western stance are supporters of rapprochement of Belarus with the European Union and the United States. However, they do not speak negatively about the relations with Russia are Russophobes, nationalists, however, in-depth integration between Minsk and Moscow do not support, which is evident from their statements in the media, lots of programs and associations that they represent.
With high probability we can predict that only one of the candidates for the highest post - Lukashenko, if he is re-elected, will continue to support a course on deepening of integration with Russia. But there is one "but" - should be suggested for this favorable conditions, in particular, in resolving oil and gas disputes, another Minsk "subscribe". A commitment to relations with Moscow, Lukashenko recently confirmed at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that Belarus will always remain close to Russia and home country.
Belarusian political analyst Alexander Shpakovsky in conversation with RIA Novosti noted that today the undisputed favorite of the election race is Lukashenko, so "even the possibility of coming to power, the so-called alternative candidates in expert circles seriously discussed". "However, if such a hypothetical possibility to consider, you need to keep in mind that the so-called alternative candidates, which are traditional opposition (except Tikhanovski, ed.), in favour of withdrawal from the bloc, the CSTO and the Union state with Russia," the analyst said.
The only presidential candidate in Belarus, who was in the current election campaign virtually by accident - Tikhanovski. She repeatedly admitted that she has no political ambitions and the elections she went only because her husband, who had planned to participate in them, could not register the initiative group for his nomination. The main message, which Tikhanovski goes to the polls, she wants regime change in the country, and in the case of the presidential election within six months will hold "elections" in which, including, will be able to participate those who are now in custody and recognized as human rights defenders as political prisoners.
Speaking about the nomination Tikhanovski, Shpakovsky noted that "in General it is quite difficult to form any opinion about her view on foreign, domestic policy, the economy and so forth." "In itself, the nomination of Svetlana Tikhanovski was fake, in fact, behind it a political campaign of her husband, who also was not a campaign of a presidential candidate in the full sense of the word," - said the Agency interlocutor.
According to him, tikhanovski exploited the protests and, by and large, offered nothing, only criticizing certain actions of Lukashenka.
""He (tikhanovski – ed.) called for protests with a fairly radical slogans, used populist rhetoric, therefore, to understand how it relates to such entities as the CSTO, the Union state, the Eurasian economic Union, EU, is quite difficult," - said the expert.
According to him, negative statements about Russia from the Tikhanovski sounds, but sounded criticism of the Russian President. "That is, if we start from this statement, nothing good, in all probability, the Belarusian-Russian relations if elected Tikhanovski President is not waiting," - said Shpakovsky.
Between the the Tikhanovski, in his inaugural program on the radio, noted that the Belarusians will "be friends with everyone, but only in the interests of their own country." "We need to create a partnership on equal terms and not depend on the gas or credit needle", - said the candidate, referring to relations with Russia.
Another candidate, Konopacka, never hid that opposes the Union integration of Belarus with Russia, but fully supports the equal participation of Minsk in EU Affairs. For example, on the page in Facebook the politician wrote about the uselessness of the Union state the two countries ' peoples. Konopacka noted that this project for 20 years, remained "stillborn child", and it's time to put it point through the referendum. The project of the Union state, in its opinion, has long turned into "games of the political ambitions".
"I advocate for the implementation of the Constitution of the state of neutrality, I review all international agreements which do not meet the national interests of Belarus. Yes, I'm all for the denunciation of the Treaty on establishing the Union state. Yes, I'm for withdrawal from the Treaty Organization of collective security", - said Konopacka, speaking on television from his election program.
In addition, the candidate expressed for the termination of Russia's lease contracts of military installations in Belarus and for the withdrawal from Chechnya of Russian troops.
More positively, Konopacka refers to the membership of Belarus in the Eurasian economic Union (EEU). According to her, this integration associations Minsk is enough for a "full-fledged interstate cooperation," although it operates a "small irregularities".
"It makes no sense to chase after two hares, especially when one of them is lame and immature (Federal government – ed.)", - claimed Konopacka. At the time, she also criticized the work of the Belarus-Russia integration "road maps", called her "a mystery", and demanded "declassify" all of the proposals in the framework of the Union integration.
According to Konopacki, Belarus is a European country and an "integral part of European civilization." She believes that the European way of Belarus is not a matter of "geopolitical vacillation between Moscow and Brussels, is conscious, aware participation in European Affairs as a full stakeholder".
As pointed out shpakovskiy, if we analyze the position of the Association "Tell the truth", which is Dmitriev, it stands for the neutral status of Belarus and, accordingly, assume the output of all the Federal entities of Russia.