Andrei Sannikov: Only handover of power
- 12.09.2011, 9:13
The presidential candidate has no intentions to exchange his prison term for the legitimacy of the dictator.
Andrei Sannikov, who was sentenced to five years in prison for organizing a protest demonstration against the rigged presidential elections, made an open statement from prison:
“Only the handover of power in Belarus can lead the country out of the crisis. Moreover, only the handover of power can keep Belarus as an independent state, save our language and culture. Today, we have a unique and, which is the main thing, real chance.
After December 19, 2010, the whole world saw that the regime of Lukashenka is dangerous for Belarusians, that the people of Belarus do not support the acting authorities and are deprived of the right to elect, because their votes are ignored. It’s obvious for everyone, that the economic wreck in Belarus is a result of the policy of the current regime. Moreover, further staying of Lukashenka in power will result in full economic collapse.
We can and we must change our destiny and restore Belarus’s good name in relations with our neighbours, Russia, Europe and the United States. We are expected to do this ourselves. This issue must be the key one for Belarusians today. The time to hold a dialogue with the authorities passed. The last attempt of this dialogue ended with beating of thousands and arrest of hundreds of people on December 19. When the regime talks about a dialogue, it means holding on power at any cost and elimination of the opposition. We should remember history and learn its lessons.
Many people remember a dialogue with the authorities in 1999, but avoid making principled estimation of the dialogue. It think these were the most disgraceful pages of the history of the Belarusian opposition, because the talking group, formed by the OSCE Office and Lukashenka’s regime, was holding negotiations turning a blind eye to deaths and disappearances of political leaders. Henadz Karpenka died in April 1999 under strange circumstances. Yury Zakharnaka disappeared in May 1999. Viktar Hanchar and Anatoly Krasouski were kidnapped in September. But the “negotiators” did not even recall them.
It is only this fact that deprives the regime of the right to speak about a dialogue and the opposition of the right to consider this opportunity. The result of the dialogue will be another 12 years of the ugly dictatorship. The opposition should not allow the authorities to use it like a single-use item. But it is not what the people of Belarus expect. It is not what our neighbours in Russia and the West expect. They expect Belarus to be a normal, predictable international partner.
I know that my views, my statements only prolong my prison term, but this proves the real intentions of the regime. We have all preconditions for the change of power for returning the right of vote to people. We need decisiveness, courage and adherence to principals.
History is being made today. We are making the history. We will win together!”