Belarusian CEC on may 15 finished reception of documents for registration of initiative groups for nomination of candidates in presidents of the country. On the same day, began screening those wishing to participate in the elections. First out a popular blogger Sergei tikhanovski — the loudest critic of the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko. His initiative group was not registered in the elections, he will not accept it. However, the main opponent is going for a sixth term Mr Lukashenko will be the coronavirus — affected Belarusian economy pandemic makes the campaign an element of unpredictability.Belarus first post-Soviet countries will experience what it’s like to hold elections on the background of the pandemic coronavirus. The first stage of preparation to planned for 9 August to vote on 15 may — the day of the CEC stopped receiving documents for registration of initiative groups of presidential candidates. Submit these documents had more than three dozen people, including Alyaksandr Lukashenka, whose initiative group was officially registered.Registration of initiative groups — the first filter to obtain the identity of the candidate. Some have failed to overcome the barrier. For example, the Central election Commission on 15 may refused to register the initiative group of blogger Sergei Tikhanovski. Mr. tikhanovski, in the past, entrepreneur in the advertising in Moscow, for about a year leads to the YouTube channel “Country life”. Videos collecting hundreds of thousands of views on the problems of ordinary people in different localities of Belarus. Always the object of criticism — the power and directly Alexander Lukashenko.His campaign against incumbent President Sergei tikhanovski began even before he became known date of the election. He led her under the slogan “No pasaran — stop cockroach.” About the decision to join the electoral race, Mr. tikhanovski announced may 7 by posting videos in YouTube. On the day of the appearance of video in public access to his hero for a day was in the detention center for organization of illegal demonstrations, which often turned his appearance in a particular city.As Sergei Tikhanovski given 15 days, the papers carried his wife Svetlana as his Trustee. But the Commission decided that the application for registration of the initiative group had to sign who is serving a two-week arrest of the candidate. On this basis, the participation of Sergei Tikhanovski in the elections was blocked. The same decision was taken with regard to other so-called protest candidates.One of the members of team blogger Artem Saks told “Kommersant” that the decision of the CEC was not a surprise and will be challenged in court. In this Telegram-the channel “Country life”, who are colleagues of Sergei Tikhanovski, said: the wife of a failed candidate had to submit to the CEC documents for registration of initiative groups on presidential nomination of her. By the time this material was not aware of the decision of the CEC in relation to Svetlana Tikhanovski.The Commission has until may 19 to make final decisions on all accepted papers. Including two opposition candidates, whose participation in elections, some observers interpreted as a signal that the elites were split. Talking about the former Chairman of Belgazprombank (the Belarusian “daughter” Gazprombank) Victor of Babariko and former Deputy foreign Minister Valerie Tsepkalo, who in the presidential elections of 1994 he worked in the campaign headquarters at the time, opposition leader Alexander Lukashenko, and then long was a member of his team.Now gentlemen, Babariko and Tsepkalo criticize existing in the country system of government, and the situation in General is described as stagnation. “If these two candidates — a former high-ranking nomenklatura and former senior banker has made a decision (to participate in elections.— “B”) themselves, to which I incline, is a new and serious challenge for the system”,— said “Kommersant” political commentator Artyom shraibman.Meanwhile, registration of the initiative group does not guarantee that wishes to participate in the election campaign will be the candidate. Before June 15, each potential contender for the presidency needs to collect and bring to the CEC 100 thousand signatures in his support.Experts call this number is huge, and the process of collecting signatures in the context of the pandemic is extremely difficult. “100 thousand signatures by Belarusian standards — about a million and a half Russian. This is a huge figure for Belarus. But even if a candidate will gather the signatures, this does not mean that it will register the Belarusian CEC is able to filter candidates”,— said Artyom shraibman. Political analyst Vitaliy Shklyarov as a whole believes the rules of the game unfair: “It’s like stepping into the ring with a partner whose full gloves bolts, or have hands tied. Unequal rules of the game”.Although none of the respondents ‘ b ‘experts’ almost no doubt that Alexander Lukashenko’s re-elect for the sixth time, they believe that the coronavirus can make in the current campaign unpredictable adjustments. Primarily because the economy had serious problems. “The economy enters a deep recession, and forecasts are considered optimistic even about 5% decline. It is unclear what to sell to the public. Plus we have a pretty deep dispute with Russia. That is, to rely on Russian support and on the Pro-Russian rhetoric, Lukashenko also can not. And then there’s the intensification of grassroots PR��close movement. This is not the first time, but is imposed on all”,— said Mr. shraibman.Sociologist Andrei Vardamatski points to a recent poll by the “Belarusian analytical workshop”. In December the economic situation in the country was dissatisfied 38% of Belarusians, and in March the figure increased to 61%. “For the first time for the entire measurement period for 20 years is a collapse of economic self-perception has occurred,” said Mr vardomatsky “b”. Coronavirus, according to him, decomposes not only biological organisms large numbers of citizens, but to some extent undermines the frame of the social system: “increasing the density of infection is the lower density of the cement system. Each new infected, bitten off and a fraction of percent of confidence in the system”.Artyom shraibman does not exclude that the deterioration of the situation in the country and the growth of dissent the government will act most harshly: “I Think the Belarusian state system, will now be honed to more skillfully administer the impoverished people. The rate will be made to the new rhetoric, not economic, stability and prosperity, and on some other agenda, which nobody has yet invented. And on the whip. Security forces, in principle, has never failed Lukashenko.”Vladimir Solovyov
