Representative of S. Cichanauskaja: response to the ultimatum – A. Lukashenko’s support campaign canceled

“We received a response when we saw that Lukashenko had tried to hold a large rally to support him, and had not done so; the rally had been canceled. This is the answer to our ultimatum: he has no support and has not managed to put together the rally he has reported. Curiously, he managed to force everyone to participate, there were many threats in the regions, we heard that, many people gave us records, “he said.

Lukashenko assured the media on Friday that some 300,000 people plan to rally for his support campaign on Sunday. people, but asked the country’s prime minister to warn local authorities to cancel mass events so as not to “paralyze Minsk” and because “we will not be able to guarantee security.”

According to A. Krasulina, A. Lukashenko’s decision to organize by force a demonstration of support was “the most unsuccessful option” of the possible options, that is, “to threaten people, translate them, collect them throughout the country and, finally, not collecting, releasing and lying about it – to protect human lives from the virus. “

It also says that if Lukashenko does not meet the requirements for resignation, the country’s largest industrial plants, such as Belaruskalij and Grodno Azot, MTZ, MAZ and MZKT, plan to launch a massive national strike on Monday.

“Even the fact that even the factory workers are leaving means that the social contract that Lukashenko offered to the workers has completely collapsed. Now it has become clear that the Lukashenko regime has run out of resources to support the fact that that state has failed, this model no longer works and his entire system of government has collapsed, “said A. Krasulina.

He stressed that the demands were “an ultimatum of the people, not a Sviatlan Cichanouskaya” and called on all Belarusians to join the strikes and work for “an effective transfer of power as soon as possible”. At the same time, he stressed that neither the planned protests nor strikes would be coordinated by S. Cichanouskaya’s headquarters from Vilnius.

“The Chichanouskaya headquarters do not coordinate protests, but there are telegram channels and various initiatives that coordinate and make their creative contribution,” he said.

Cichanouskaya’s spokeswoman said small businesses were invited to contribute to the strikes on Monday, at least for a short time, and were then expected to support other strikers. According to her, the strikes are expected to take place for at least a week, after which the situation will be assessed.

“We would support it if everyone, including small and medium-sized businesses, joined the strike, closed their doors and no one works but goes out to the city. It is not necessary to stop a business for two, three or five weeks, because in reality the business does not work for the state apparatus, it works for itself and will work to support the strikers. We have decided that they must not destroy their business, they can continue working, but at the same time they must demonstrate all possible means to help the strikers, especially by replenishing funds to support the strikers, “he said.

Krasulina also called on the Belarusian people to be safe during Sunday’s traditional protests over the spread of the coronavirus, to protect themselves from “possible provocations” in the crowd, and to stop possible provocateurs using “self-defense troops” to maintain order. public.

“We warn our supporters that our protests are peaceful, we will not use weapons, so any other behavior means that it is a provocation from the authorities,” he said.

Former Belarusian presidential candidate S. Cichanauskaja withdrew from Vilnius after the August 9 elections, in which authoritarian leader Aliaksandr Lukashenko was declared the winner. To this day thousands of protests by the population continue, they are repressed by force.

Cichanauskaja, a 38-year-old politician, issued a “popular ultimatum” to the Minsk regime on October 13 and threatened a nationwide strike if the head of state did not announce his resignation on Sunday, stop the violence against protesters and release the protesters. political prisoners.

The Belarusian government announced an international search for Ms. Cichanouskaya last week, although even earlier, her name was included on the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted list.