Groundless withdrawal of election candidates should be fined in Belarus

MINSK, 17 September (BelTA) – It is high time Belarus introduced fines for withdrawal of election candidates for no good reason, Head of the analytical center EcooM Sergei Musiyenko told BelTA commenting on the results of party rallies of the United Civic Party and the Belarusian Popular Front that decided to withdraw their candidates from the race.

According to the expert, the legislation of many countries envisages financial penalties for candidates who withdraw from election campaign for no good reason. Besides, some countries forbid these candidates to take part in elections in the future. “In my opinion, the new parliament needs to outlaw such demarches in Belarus, too,” Sergei Musiyenko said.

The “on/off participation” strategy has been used by a number of opposition parties in Belarus for many years already. This way they demonstrate disrespect for their voters and oust candidates who could be elected to work efficiently, the expert said.

Sergei Musiyenko does not rule out that some people in the United Civic Party and the Belarusian Popular Front want to get to the parliament. “However, if they do it, they will no longer get donations from the West. This is the most important part of their consideration. It is easier to keep striking the government from the corner and get money for that, than to openly declare their position from the rostrum of the parliament,” the expert said.