By Özgür Altınbaş
There was an 85.7 percent turnout in the presidential elections held in Belarus on January 26. Igor Karpenko, Chairman of the Belarusian Central Election Commission (CEC), stated that 5 million 916 thousand 195 Belarusians voted. President Alexander Lukashenko won the election with 5 million 136 thousand 293 votes.
The results of other candidates are as follows: Sergey Sırankov, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus, received 3.21 percent, Oleg Gaydukevich, leader of the Belarusian Liberal Democratic Party, received 2.02 percent, Anna Kanopatskaya, an independent candidate, received 1.86 percent, and Aleksandr Hijnyak, leader of the Republican Justice and Labor Party, received 1.74 percent.
Presidential candidates Oleg Gaidukevich, chairman of the Belarusian Liberal Democratic Party, and Max Misko, president of the Belarus Peace Foundation, evaluated the elections for UWI. Gaidukevic said that the West is uncomfortable with the independent decisions of the Belarusian people.
Misko said, “No ship can sail successfully without its captain. In this difficult period, it is extremely important for us to have a leader who will do everything possible to preserve peace in our country.”
https://unitedworldint.com/29124-belarus-in-the-context-of-the-war-in-ukraine
‘The West is uncomfortable with our independence’
“Protecting our independence and sovereignty, ensuring peace in the region and in our country will be one of our main agendas,” Gaidukevic said, adding, “We especially support Türkiye’s efforts to maintain peace in the region. Türkiye and Belarus will have better relations, especially in the field of economy.”
Stating that the elections were held in a democratic and free environment, the party leader said, “Because parties and candidates with different programs participated in this election. The West does not like the elections in Belarus for the following reasons: We are building our unity with Russia, we don’t want war with Russia, we don’t want to be like Ukraine, we want to live in peace. One of the most important facts is that the Belarusian people do not want to be a member of the European Union.”
‘Europe should thank Lukashenko’
Gaidukevich said that European countries should thank Lukashenko for the absence of a foreign-backed candidate in Belarus. “No country would want a foreign-backed candidate to stand for election. But there is foreign interference in European elections. And of course, one of the things that the West doesn’t like about the elections in Belarus is that there is no candidate supported and funded by the EU. The Belarusian people are deciding their own destiny. That’s why the Belarusian people voted for Lukashenko. Because the Belarusian people saw the lies of the West in Ukraine for what they are.”
The leader of the Liberal Democratic party, who also stated that he had withdrawn his candidacy in favor of Lukashenko in the previous orange coup attempt, said, “Lukashenko is our national leader. We did not allow the West to interfere in this election. In the same way in Türkiye, we have seen attempts by the West to interfere in the elections, this is unacceptable. Belarusian people love Türkiye. We support Türkiye’s initiatives for the construction of a multipolar world.”
“We have a different program”
Gaidukevich said that his party has its own program and thinks differently on some points. However, stating that he also supports Lukashenko on many issues, the party leader said, “We have deputies in the parliament. Unlike other parties, we have a lot of businesspeople. We are a party supported by businesspeople. Our participation in the presidential elections gives us opportunities to be represented in the parliament in the future.”
“Sanctions do not boost the economy, affected the humanitarian situation”
Misko underlined that the sanctions, which were imposed in the hope that the Belarusian people would become dissatisfied with their leaders, have not achieved their goal. He also said that there are no serious problems in Belarus’ economy related to the sanctions, adding, “The real problem is in the humanitarian field. Ordinary people are the most vulnerable to sanctions. This affects important areas such as healthcare, ecology and humanitarian projects that connect us to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, many of these initiatives are currently suspended. We argue that we should not wait for any possibility to lift sanctions.”
Misko said that Belarus’s position has not changed: “We are trying to maintain good relations with countries with which we already have strong ties, as well as to establish friendly relations with countries where everything is not yet going well.
We are open to everyone and invite everyone to the negotiating table.”
‘Türkiye is a reliable friend of Belarus’
Misko also touched upon Belarus-Türkiye relations. Stating that relations are at a high level, Misko said, “We sincerely appreciate your help in many areas. It is no secret that thanks to you, Belarusian citizens can travel all over the world. When we want to travel to Africa, Europe, Asia or other countries, we usually use routes through Türkiye. We are grateful to you for helping us solve logistical and economic problems, especially under the sanctions affecting Belarus.”
Emphasizing that Türkiye is a reliable friend for Belarus in difficult times, Misko said, “We want to ensure that our relations continue as strong as before. As long as you support us, we will always support you.”
Stating that Türkiye plays a special role as a mediator between the West and the East, Misko said, “You are making important efforts to ensure global peace, and we see how hard your President is working to ensure stability not only in your region but all over the world. On behalf of the Belarusian people, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Turkish people for all your support.”