{"id":120865,"date":"2025-01-08T13:07:37","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T10:07:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/120865\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lukasenkas-supporter-seeks-to-ban-opposition-from-presidential-elections","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/120865\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka’s supporter seeks to ban opposition from presidential elections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n \"\"\n
\n \n
\n (Vitebskiye Vesti)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 8, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> The right to nominate presidential candidates should be granted only to parliamentary parties and the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, Aleh Hajdukievi\u010d, a staunch supporter of incumbent Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, has said in his radio address as part of his presidential campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, presidential hopefuls in Belarus are required to garner at least 100,000 voter ballot-access signatures to qualify for the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his radio address, Hajdukievi\u010d argued emphatically against the introduction of a parliamentary system of government in Belarus, apparently criticizing another presidential bidder Hanna Kanapackaja\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A potential return to a parliamentary republic would lead to \u201cmess and chaos,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also running in the election to be held later this month are Belarus\u2019 longtime ruler Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, and his supporters, Siarhiej Syranko\u016d and Alaksandar Chi\u017eniak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are against the idea of a parliamentary republic proposed by one of the candidates,” Hajdukievi\u010d said. “We went through all this in the 1990s. There must be a leader in charge. We must be protected from political intriguers who run for president to sort out their personal affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parliamentary governance would hamper decision-making, he added, suggesting that \u201cincompetent politicians, traitors\u201d and opposition politicians should be banned from running in presidential elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ongoing seventh presidential campaign in Belarus is taking place in a purged political landscape amid a new wave of crackdown on regime critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian opposition dismissed the election as a sham, noting that political reprisals prevent pro-democracy candidates from running and voters from freely expressing their will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n
\n \"\"