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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.
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