Andrei Sannikov: “We’ll protest on Square” (Video, photo)

• 19.12.2010, 9:33

“At 8 p.m. we shall come to Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk to defend our choice, our freedom and our right to live in a free European country,” the candidate for presidency stated.

Andrei Sannikov has cast his vote today at 9 a.m. at the polling station in Minsk gymnasium #18 in Kalinin Street. The candidate for presidency arrived together with his wife, a well-known journalist Iryna Khalip and their 3-year-old son Daniil.

More than 100 journalists from Belarusian and foreign mass media, representatives of about 20 TV companies have been waiting for him already.

Answering the question of journalists, for whom he had voted, the candidate answered: “For free Belarus, for normal life!”

Commending the process of the electioncampaign in Belarus, Andrei Sannikov stated:

“What has been happening until today is not election. The early voting is compulsion, blackmailing threats. And today is really the lection day. People will vote against Lukashenka. I am 100 per cent sure. But how the votes would be counted? They will try to rig the election results, but I hope this time they would not falsify the real choice of the nation. It is clear that the CEC will announce the figures in favor of Lukashenka, but such a number of candidates in any normal country automatically mean the second round. If we would be told that there is no second round, it would be lies and deceit. We shall protest against that on the Square,” stated the candidate for presidency in Belarus.

The day before Andrei Sannikov addressed citizens of Belarus:

“Dear friends!

The long-expected day for all of us has come. Our freedom is close as never before.

Lukashenka’s regime has collapsed. We should make the last effort, show grit, and take the future of our country in our hands, to put an end to the absurdity we have been witnessing for 16 years. The cowardly tyrant knows that his time is over. That is why he fears everything: open debates in live TV broadcast, the nation’s expression of will, a fair vote count.

Belarusians are the great nation. We are none the worse than other European nations who have got their liberty. Today we shall show that to the world. Together we are strong. At 8 p.m. we’ll gather on October Square in Minsk to defend our choice, our freedom and our right to live in a free European country!

The history is made today! We are making the history! Together we shall win!”