State media in Salihorsk cover Lukashenka’s campaign only
The state-owned media of Salihorsk have been actively covering the collecting signatures in support of the initiative group of Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Meanwhile, representatives of the opposition candidates do not receive airtime or opportunity to comment.
According to local observers, the STK TV channel has launched a large-scale campaign in favor of the incumbent. TV reports feature interviews with representatives of Belaya Rus, the Youth Union and the government-controlled Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus. Comments of passers-by either directly or indirectly praise the policy of the current president and are actually campaigning to give their votes in the elections. In a total of three reports of a total duration of about seven minutes, there was just 8 seconds of video footage from a picket staged by the initiative group of the opposition leader Anatol Liabedzka.
According to the head of the Minsk regional organization of the United Civil Party Viktar Malochka, not many people come to sign for the opposition candidate, but still more than in the three pickets for the incumbent president. He also says that two women from the Lukashenka picket came up to him and admitted that they were collecting signatures under duress and signed for Anatol Liabedzka.