No oppositionists get through to Parliament

At least 99 people were elected in the first round of elections for the 110-seat House of Representatives of Belarus’ National Assembly, but none of them represented opposition forces, according to the central election commission, BelaPAN said.

Belarusians like to criticize authorities, but they do not like the word “opposition” and are afraid to lose what they have and do not want to drastically change their way of life if the opposition comes to power, as this may disturb their comfortable life, commented Lidziya Yarmoshyna, head of the central elections commission, at a news conference held at 2 a.m. on September 29.

Ms. Yarmoshyna claimed that she did not have data about the voting results in the remaining 11 districts.

According to her, Syarhey Kalyakin, leader of the Belarusian Party of Communists, won only 15.6 percent of the vote. As for other prominent opposition candidates, 15 percent of the vote went to Ihar Rynkevich; 14 percent to Ales Mikhalevich; 10.6 percent to Lyudmila Hraznova; 9.7 percent to Anatol Lyabedzka, leader of the United Civic Party; and 8.6 percent for Volha Kazulin, a daughter of former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin.

Ms. Yarmoshyna also said that two members of the outgoing House, Volha Abramava and Viktar Kuchynski, failed to get reelected.

Among those elected are, in particular, Uladzimir Andreychanka, head of the Vitsyebsk Reguional Executive Committee; Uladzimir Zharela, chief of Belarusian Railroads; Alyaksandr Papkow, deputy head of the Presidential Administration; Anatol Hlaz, deputy head of the Mahilyow Regional Executive Committee; and House of Representatives members Alyaksandr Shawko, Tatsyana Holubeva, Tatsyana Asmalowskaya, Alyaksandr Yushkevich, Halina Yurhyalevich, Anatol Pawlovich, Raman Korap, Ihar Karpenka, and Halina Palyanskaya.