Only five more days to complete the collection of signatures in support of those who decided to participate in the presidential elections in Belarus. Subscription campaign revealed favorites and have shown who the Belarusian authorities consider to be the most uncomfortable opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko. These are trying to neutralize with the help of criminal cases and compromising. While Minsk has not hinting, and speak openly about “Russian trace” in the pre-game against Mr Lukashenko.From 20 June to 4 July candidates for the post of President of Belarus should submit to the CEC collected in his support of the signature. After that, the CEC will have two weeks for their consideration and registration as candidates those who do not have any issues. Collecting signatures initiative group of 15 applicants. The record of the incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko reported that he collected about 1.5 million signatures. In second place with 330 thousand signatures — the former head of Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko. In a press-service of the former Deputy foreign Minister Valeriy Tsepkalo, “Kommersant” reported about 180 thousand signatures. The necessary minimum in 100 thousand also overcame spouse blogger Sergei Tikhanovski Svetlana.Ending subscription campaign of the technical procedure immediately turned into a political confrontation. Popular blogger tikhanovski, helped his wife to collect signatures turned every picket to collect signatures in anti-presidential election show. Alexander Lukashenko, he was called a “cockroach” who must be stopped. Meeting with his participation was held under the slogan “Stop the cockroach!”, people brought Slippers — folk remedy against insects.The power did not long endure: 29 may blogger and his supporters were detained and then arrested. Sergei Tikhanovski, who in an interview with “Kommersant” said that without the mass protests against the government, these elections will not do, now accused of organizing and preparing the actions that breach public order. In proof of the ill intentions of the blogger security forces also filed a $900 million found during a search of his country house.After her husband’s arrest Svetlana Tikhanovski urged supporters not to hold for some time pickets to collect signatures in major cities, including Minsk, to avoid provocations. However, political analyst Artiom shraibman in an interview with “Kommersant” expressed the opinion that Mrs. Tikhanovski CEC in the end, the candidate does not register for the focus her team on the protest: “what About Tikhanovski clear — it does not register a will, not to give a legitimate reason to protest.”Expert Pro-presidential Republican public movement “White Russia” Peter Petrovski says: “in fact, today the whole team Tikhanovski defeated.” He calls this is a logical reaction to the situation when “a group of people starts to deliberately provoke, to violate electoral laws, intimidating law enforcement officials, to put pressure on the vertical and simply to destabilize the situation”. “Then, of course, the government decides that it is necessary to stop on a root,” said Peter Petrovski “b”.Problems with the law arose not only Sergei Tikhanovski. On June 11 the staff of the Department of financial investigations of state control Committee of Belarus came to search in Belgazprombank (for 49.8% of the shares in Russian companies — “Gazprom” and Gazprombank). The Bank to the decision to run for President of Belarus for 20 years was headed by Victor Babariko, now harshly critical of President Lukashenko. The searches took place in several firms associated with management of the BGB or its former head. Mr. Babariko directly linked the searches with his participation in the elections. In an interview with “Kommersant” he said that the authorities are trying to find “reason to initiate a criminal case against me and remove me from the race, not because I don’t have 100 thousand signatures, but because I’m a criminal and the person under the court and consequence”.Alexander Lukashenko linked with the elections was rejected. “Before God I swear that I do now in the election campaign is not necessary. Because that will scream, afraid of someone. I’m not afraid of anyone! And to me, this situation is disadvantageous, but the villains had to stop because I started to hide the ends in water. Did not work”,— said the President June 12 in Vitebsk oblast.In his words, “I worked for this Bank and for him in 2016”. “Found the withdrawal of money, foreign accounts, foreign property of their. Cyprus. In Latvia accounts London. But foreigners information provided to us only in December last year. Law enforcement agencies have intensified these actions. Therefore, there were problems”,— said the President.From the attack on Victor Babariko he, however, could not resist: “When the stigma of a gun, don’t go (to the polls.— “Kommersant”). Because you will isochoric the people. What useful because I realized that to come to him and put on handcuffs. And we are now profitable to engage in politics, to be a prisoner of conscience. That’s why he went there. But he can’t help it”.It turns out the teams of the two candidates — Victor Babariko and Svetlana Tikhanovski — problems with the Belarusian law enforcement agencies. In the field of security services have not yet been included Valery Tsepkalo is another popular contender for the presidency. But Mr. Lukashenko has hinted that not everything is clear. At a meeting with members of the government on 4 June, the President has demonstrated awareness of the property of the opponent: “whose money are you kampaniu? “I sold the house and the money to lead campaign”. But you look like a sold! He lives in this house — he sold his house some company, she paid him the money, but he lives there. What is it? This funding campaign, what is there to understand! And it squirt out and so clean and fluffy”.The same day Alexander Lukashenko spoke about the Russian involvement in the political struggle, saying without naming names that some of the candidates financed by “Russian oligarchs”. Press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov replied: “I do not know about the existence of oligarchs in our country, this is the first. And it is also not known that they were doing something would be in Belarus, is the second”.However, the version of the Russian participation in the presidential race in Minsk in the course. Peter Petrovsky believes that in Russia there is a circle, “are interested in how to worsen the negotiation position of Belarus or through a reduction in maneuverability of the Belarusian diplomacy to be against us, the West imposed sanctions, or that we deal with internal problems and did not advance the position of the single oil and gas markets in the key of equal pricing, and not in the way as our partners (the Russian.— “B”) offer.” “Normal relations with the US and the EU increase the opportunity for mobility. And if there are bad relations with the West, we will not maneuver, and we will be easier to strangle”,— suggested the expert “Belaya Rus”.The EU, incidentally, has already hinted that future relations with Belarus will depend on how the election of the President. “It is extremely important that the fundamental rights and freedoms of Belarusian citizens are respected fully and that the authorities have provided an environment for real political competition”,— said at last week’s Deutsche Welle, the official representative of the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell Peter Stano.Vladimir Solovyov
