The outcome of the presidential election in Belarus was predictable and clear, Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus Sergei Gaidukevich told the ONT TV Channel on 26 December, BelTA has learnt.

“From the very beginning of the presidential campaign, when the presidential candidates were registered, it was obvious that people did not know most of them,” Sergei Gaidukevich said. He believes that in fact no one of them really wanted to become president, each of them had other reasons to run for presidency and all of them failed.

According to Sergei Gaidukevich, despite the great number of alternative candidates, none of them was worth voting for. “After their aggressive TV and radio appearances, people came to the polls to confirm their support for the incumbent authorities, and this was a conscious choice of people,” he said.

Sergei Gaidukevich expressed regret that the unauthorized rally staged in Minsk in the evening of 19 December turned into a turmoil involving young people. “It is saddening, of course, but it was a lesson to learn. It has demonstrated that Belarus should promote political parties and party leaders should be in control of their message. Presidential candidates should have their own programs spelling out what should be done and how to advance the country. This program was to help them win people’s trust. Instead, the candidates scared people off with their speeches. People came to the polls to protect what they have. A voter first looks at the biography of a presidential hopeful, his managerial experience. The majority of the alternative candidates had nothing to show. They should have spoken to voters, not their supporters (they do not have to be persuaded), to common people from the countryside, from industrial towns. Did any of the alternative candidates have supporters in the regions? How many people attended their meetings?” Sergei Gaidukevich asked.

According to him, the goal of those who staged the 19 December event was clear; they did what they were paid for. It is obvious that people take to the streets if they have some financial or moral support. “Such events always draw foreign reporters who need to present the things the way they were ordered to,” Sergei Gaidukevich said.

A reminder, Sergei Gaidukevich pulled out of the presidential race on 8 October. He submitted his withdrawal notification to the Central Election Commission of Belarus. Sergei Gaidukevich did not specify his reasons for withdrawal.

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