Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Haidukevich makes live TV speech: Long Live, Belarus!

Artsiom Martynovich, Euroradio

Syarhei Haidukevich has criticized the opposition and officials and urged people to vote and not to go to the square in his TV speech.

Presidential candidate, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Syarhei Haidukevichhas made a 30-minute speech on TV. The politician started speaking about the state’s sovereignty and called it the biggest achievement. Then he started criticizing other oppositionists.

"I will never ask pope to go to the square because I value the price our ancestors paid for peaceful life. Promises to improve life instantly are a lie. I will sacrifice everything to avoid it. I am open for dialogue with the current government. Our main goal is concern for our Motherland.”

He also criticized the authorities. However, he only mentioned the government and low-level officials.

"There are strong branches of power but the pro-Belarus position is not very strong. The authorities are doing a lot of good things but there are also many drawbacks. Little attention is paid to people. The gap between the people and officials in increasing… Plants are working to fill the warehouses. A lot has been said about modernization but nothing has changed in officials’ heads. The government knew that a crisis was approaching. The Minister must know the situation as good as a plant director. A Minister is like a manager. He must be able to foresee things. If we do not know how to sell our goods, it is the Minister’s fault. Creative people should be appointed Ministers.”

The threat to independence is within the country, Haidukevich believes:

Many people started using independence mottoes during this campaign. Some are speaking about the Russian or the Western threat. The threat can only be found in Belarus itself. The authorities should understand that it is difficult to unite people when the income is decreasing. The handicapped and children should get more guarantees. We need reforms instead of half-measures. We need to think about pensioners all the time. Our main task is economic growth. We need to reduce the brain drain and start paying scholarships to young scientists.

The he mentioned the main theses of his programme:

My main task is to unite people. I think that we need to conduct a parliamentary election using the mixed-member proportional representation. We need statesmen, not clerks. Statesmen understand their responsibility. We welcome pluralism and support political competition. We will defend Belarus’ interests in all unions.


Haidukevich ended his speech in an unexpected fashion: he mixed the governmental and opposition’s mottoes.

My dear people, for a sovereign and democratic Belarus! For peaceful sky over our Motherland! Long Live, Belarus!