Election race in Belarus is entering the final stretch: the last week before the presidential election on 9 August will be the most intense. After the arrest of 33 Russians allegedly involved in the private military companies (PMCs) “Wagner”, the main theme of election campaign are the security issues. President Alexander Lukashenko has further exacerbated the situation, calling the false version of Moscow that the arrested Russians used Minsk as a transit point.”Flew to see the Hagia Sophia”in next Sunday’s Belarus presidential elections, which will be unique for three reasons: the continuing pandemic of coronavirus, the unprecedented intensity of the political struggle, and declared a terrorist threat, the source of which is allegedly in Russia. The tension is so great that help has come to God. As stated in the press service of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, on 2 August in all the churches of the country “would be lifted up an ardent prayer for the gift of peace, stability and prosperity to the Belarusian people”.A week ago the main news was a challenge to Alexander Lukashenko, the abandoned headquarters of the United opposition, led by Svetlana Tikhanovski, a housewife, trapped in the Bulletin by coincidence. However, overshadowed by the story of the arrested Russians forced many people to think about the future of Russian-Belarusian relations.Recall that on 29 July in the sanatorium “Belorusochka” detained 33 of the Russians (see “Kommersant” on July 30), which Belarusian security forces have called PMCs soldiers “Wagner”.Read teleposta they chose a measure of restraint — detention and included in a criminal case under article 293 of the criminal code of Belarus “Organizing mass riots”. According to investigators, these people with combat experience could act in concert with the Belarusian opposition blogger Sergei Tikhanovski, who was going to run for President, but was not able to participate in the elections and the prominent opposition politician Nikolai Statkevich. Mr. tikhanovski, and Mr. Statkevich are under arrest. The view last presented to Russians the allegations became known thanks to his wife Maryna Adamovich. As she wrote in Facebook, Mikalai Statkevich believes the investigation is “nonsense hydroprocessing the gray gelding”.In turn, Alexander Lukashenko August 1, spoke harshly about the version released by the Russian Ambassador in Belarus Dmitry Mezentsev. It lies in the fact that the Russians were going to fly from Minsk to Istanbul, but missed the flight and stayed to wait for the next one. “According to information that still remains to be clarified, the Russians can be employees of a private security company, which in the context of fulfillment of obligations under the commercial contract is intended to ensure the protection of infrastructure, energy and resources abroad, not in Belarus,”— said on 30 July, Mr Mezentsev.”Many of the facts interesting— he responded to Mr. Lukashenko, after the head of the state security Committee (KGB) Valery Vakulchik and Chairman of the Investigative Committee Ivan Maskevich presented a report.— I look quiet and our older brothers. Did not cry that they sent these guys in Istanbul. No Istanbul was not and could not be turned out in practice. It’s clear that this group had different goals. And the task of the investigation is to find out these goals”.The President, as expected, upheld state television. In the story, which was released on the ONT TV channel, the bus driver Gennady Kumpan, who allegedly took the Russians on the border on July 24, said: about five o’clock they had to solve problems with Russian border guards, who did not want to let them out of the country. “Then, as it turned out, someone called and missed them, adds Mr. Compan.— Then they got in the car with me, and we began to move in the direction of Minsk National airport. On the road an hour before the arrival of the final destination point — national airport, was changed. We had to go to the hotel”.The flight, which the Russians allegedly slept, flew away around 11am on July 25, but tickets to the next they did not take, although he could fly and 26, and 27 and 28 July. Moreover, leaving the hotel, the men said that they were going to the airport, and actually went to the resort, also booked in advance. Thus, in General the chat group, the investigators found a message from July 27, where the senior Callsign Shaman tells all “old tickets to burn on the street in the trash can.” “That group allegedly planned to fly from Minsk to Istanbul, say less than half of the people,— he said.— Among other countries, who called the Russians were Venezuela, Cuba and Syria, and one person did not know where to fly”. “But even those who allegedly flew to Turkey, are also different goals to enter the country. Someone flying to sunbathe, someone is guarding some items, and someone to explore the Hagia Sophia,” added Mr. Noskiewicz.The Consul of the Russian Embassy in Belarus, Kirill Pletnev has tried to explain this discrepancy. “The final destination was one of the countries in the Latin American region, he said TASS.— Route planning of flights to another continent, especially in the current environment worldwide is complex procedure, so someone from the citizens was called only the next point of the route, someone could call the end point”.According to Belarusian authorities, the arrested Russians — only the first group of about 200 people, who were going to organize riots in the country. The search for the remaining allegedly continue��smiling, but not yet successful.Election special rimaviciute to the electorate in such circumstances is a difficult task even for the permanent President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, who has moved his address to the nation from 3 to 4 August. Even harder it is the opposition, which created the joint staff: not admitted to the elections policy Victor Babariko and Valery Tsepkalo was supported by Svetlana Tikhanovski. Is Alexander Lukashenko and other opponents, however, they are almost silent against thousands of shares (see “Kommersant” on August 1) in support of Mrs. Tikhanovski. “Lukashenko instructed to deal with the security of parcels Victor Sheiman (head of presidential Affairs.— “Kommersant”). It is a strength and his long time friend, so there is no doubt that the measures at sites will be as strict as possible”,— said “Kommersant”, the Belarusian political analyst Artiom shraibman.It may interfere with the plans of the opposition to use informal observers: it is assumed that these people will just stand near the site and to consider those who came with the white bracelet on the hand — this symbol encouraged to wear the opposition headquarters. According to a researcher at the Institute of philosophy of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus Alexei Zemanta, this measure is not legitimate, as it reveals the secret ballot.”Such observers will do, I don’t know. But in Belarus there is early voting, and because I don’t understand how this alternative observation can claim any accuracy,— said Mr. Jerman.— Rather, it is more technology in order to engender doubt in the election results”.Will not be able to use the camera, which public figures have been proposed on sites at their own expense. As stated in the document signed by the head of the CEC of Belarus Lidia Yermoshina (it was published to the portal Tut.by), having examined this project, all the Committee members “expressed the opinion about the conformity of the project with the requirements of the electoral legislation and ambiguity of the procedure for the practical implementation of the proposal”. “Equipping all polling stations with video cameras with direct stream requires round the clock as the introduction of any other election procedures using information technologies, not only the legal but also the infrastructural prerequisites, as well as preliminary estimates of their cost, effectiveness and compliance of information security”,— said in the letter.According to Mr. urban, the center is operating in normal mode and does not accept the detention of 33 Russians as the pressure on yourself. “The staff has commented that no one was aware of any private security companies submitted to the elections from abroad,— says Mr. urban.— As you can see from the streams, Svetlana Tikhanovski successfully ��ustupaet before the people in the regions.”While Valery Tsepkalo August 2 moved from Moscow to Kiev. Recall that he left Belarus on July 24 because of the threat of arrest. According to Alex urban, Mr. Tsepkalo planned visits “to neighboring countries with the purpose of communication with local communities and inform broad policy circles about the election campaign in the country.”After Ukraine, he plans to visit Poland and Lithuania. Answering the question about the crossing of borders in terms of quarantine, Mr. urban confirmed that it was “very difficult task” but said that the headquarters is in correspondence with the sanitary authorities of the countries of the European Union.As for the future of relations of Moscow and Minsk, the respondents ‘ b ‘ experts are convinced that the authorities of Belarus to leave behind a path of retreat. “Lukashenko said that vagnerova is the handiwork of the Kremlin,— said Artyom shraibman.— On the contrary, it encourages to understand and treat these soldiers, as he himself calls them, without unnecessary rigidity. This is an obvious field for retreat”.Kirill Krivosheev
