Summary of candidates’ promises

January 17, Pozirk. Four of the five presidential bidders have concluded their television and radio appearances, while Alaksandar Łukašenka did not use the opportunity.

Here is the summary of their promises:

Siarhiej Syrankoŭ, of the Communist Party of Belarus

• Nationalization
• Ban on privatization
• Ban on gambling
• Crackdown on LGBT
• Severe censorship
• Political reprisals
• Rebuilding monuments to commemorate Josef Stalin
• Trade union cells and worker councils in all companies
• Replacing one-year employment contracts with life employment to make it harder for employers to sack workers  
• Second nuclear power plant

The candidate is hoping to come second in the race to “be more involved in political decision-making and influence the content” of the next five-year plan. The runner-up must offer a program to ensure “the continuity and deepen reforms” conducted by Łukašenka, he said.

Quote: “We will not surrender our native Belarusian language to bourgeois nationalists, national-democrats and Nazi supporters. We will not give our Russian language to the chauvinists, Vlasovites and imperialists.”

Aleh Hajdukievič of the Liberal Democratic Party

• Abolishing district elections in favor of a mixed-member proportional representation system Ban on opposition participation in elections
• Private “farmer initiatives” and “small and medium-sized businesses in science and manufacturing”

He expressed his opposition to leniency for drug-related offenses one week after the lower house approved milder punishment for the purchase, possession and sale of drugs. It is unclear whether he voted for the legislation.

Quote: “No mercy for drug dealers.”

Alaksandar Chižniak, leader of the Republican Party of Labor and Justice

• Party system improvement
• Decent Start program to offer young people high-paid first jobs and benefits
• Cooperation with international partners
• Good-neighborhood diplomacy to have sanctions lifted

Without criticizing the incumbent, the candidate notes that Belarus’ population has decreased by 300,000 in the past 10 years.

Quote: “By 2030, every fifth citizen will be older than 65.”

Hanna Kanapackaja

• Amnesty for “persons brought to justice for the events of the previous election cycle”
• Restoring ties with all partners, including EU member states and candidate countries.
• Opposition to Belarus’ incorporation into Russia
• Referendum on a parliamentary system for Belarus

Quote: “My program, ‘Belarus for People!’ is based on the principles of a democratic, sovereign social state, a state for the people and every individual living in it.”

Alaksandar Łukašenka

• Promises to improve ties with the West, but said Belarus is not to blame for tension.
• Strategic partnership with Russia, countries of the Global South, including China
• Social policy principles unchanged

Quote: “We have no territorial claims against any country. We are not threatening anyone, and we do not plan to attack anyone. Our military policy is defensive.”