Milinkevich Team Discusses Campaign Activities

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MINSK 000270 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/16 TAGS: PGOV PHUM BO SUBJECT: Milinkevich Team Discusses Campaign Activities Ahead of Elections Classified by Ambassador George Krol for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) REF: Minsk 185 ¶1. (C) Summary: On March 6, Victor Kornyenko, deputy campaign manager for Ten Plus Coalition presidential candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich, provided for P/E Chief an overview of the campaign team's plans ahead of the March 19 elections. Commenting on the March 2 rally near Freedom Square, Kornyenko said the rally was a relatively successful event, considering the myriad obstacles imposed by the Belarusian authorities. Kornyenko noted the campaign team was extremely satisfied with the results of Milinkevich's numerous trips to the regions, and planned to organize two more trips prior to Election Day. The team has also organized a large rally in Minsk on March 12 and another in the city of Mozyr on March 14. In an effort to coordinate activities, the Milinkevich team and several NGOs and civic initiatives agreed to convene a large protest rally on March 19 in Minsk. Noting that U.S. NGO IRI recently informed the Milinkevich team that conducting an exit poll may no longer be possible, Kornyenko stressed an exit poll was essential to convincing Belarusians to participate in the March 19 protest rally. Kornyenko stressed Milinkevich would have to work extra hard to keep the coalition together following the elections. End Summary. March 2 Rally Was Good, Considering the Obstacles -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Although Milinkevich's deputy campaign manager Victor Kornyenko was disappointed a larger number of supporters did not participate in the March 2 rally near Freedom Square, he was still pleased to see 2,000 to 5,000 show up (see septel). (Note: Kornyenko had previously told us he expected 10,000 to 15,000 to participate in the rally.) Kornyenko told P/E Chief the level of participation was encouraging, considering that the GOB went to extraordinary lengths to prevent the rally from taking place on Freedom Square, including erecting numerous erecting human and physical barriers. When asked to what extent the presence and intimidation tactics of Belarusian security forces frightened Milinkevich supporters, Kornyenko commented he did not believe the supporters were intimidated at all. He noted that security forces in previous years responded to rallies with considerably more hostility, and occasionally with violence. Regional Trips Are A Success, Two More Planned -------------- - ¶3. (C) Kornyenko said the campaign team was very satisfied with Milinkevich's trips to the regions. On March 4 and 5, Milinkevich traveled to the Grodno, Brest, and Minsk regions to meeting with voters in several cities, including in his hometown city of Grodno (on the western border of Belarus). The largest gathering was in Grodno, where Kornyenko said Milinkevich spoke to a crowd of 2,000 voters for over an hour. Belarusian security forces barred Milinkevich from speaking in the city's concert hall, as had been originally requested, so Milinkevich conducted the meeting directly outside the concert hall. In smaller cities such as Volykovoysk, Milinkevich was allowed to hold the gathering in the city's Central House of Culture, but there was room only for 200 people. However, the local authorities allowed the Milinkevich team to connect loudspeakers outside so that up to 500 people could hear him speak. ¶4. (C) Given the relative success of the campaign rallies in the regions, Kornyenko said the campaign team has planned two more campaign trips for Milinkevich in the Brest and Gomel regions during the weeks of March 6 and March 13. Deputy campaign manager Vintsuk Vyachorka, who most recently accompanied Milinkevich to the regions, separately told P/E Chief that the atmosphere in all the meetings with voters is surprisingly positive. Vyachorka said he is convinced that an increasing number of voters are willing to openly advocate for change. Following his March 4 and 5 regional trip, Milinkevich told journalists that, "our [the campaign team's] view is realistic, but we can see that the nation is awakening. People have begun to think and want changes." Kozulin Seeking Help From Milinkevich In The Regions? -------------- -------------- MINSK 00000270 002 OF 003 ¶5. (C) Kornyenko noted members of opposition candidate Aleksandr Kozulin's campaign team have approached the Milinkevich team to discuss the possibility of organizing joint rallies on regional campaign trips. Kornyenko said the "incentive" for Milinkevich to agree to such a request is that Kozulin would consider joining Milinkevich to form a unified opposition following the elections. Kornyenko asserted that in reality the Kozulin team lacked the organizational capacity, human resources, and voter appeal to schedule frequent and effective campaign rallies all over the country, and thus was hoping the Milinkevich team would be a "team player." Kozulin's team apparently threatened that Kozulin may show up at Milinkevich's rally anyway if Milinkevich refused to cooperate. (Note: Kornyenko believes Kozulin in the end will withdraw from the race. According to Kornyenko, Kozulin is becoming more convinced that he would not get a large number of votes even in a fair electoral race and therefore will take such a step to avoid being labeled a "losing candidate.") Upcoming Large Campaign Rallies -------------- ¶6. (C) Kornyenko said the campaign team is planning two more massive campaign rallies - one on March 12 in Minsk at the Lidova Sports Palace and another on March 14 in the southeastern city of Mozyr. Kornyenko was not willing to speculate on turnout for either of these rallies, but he noted that the campaign team distributed 50,000 leaflets for the March 12 rally in Minsk. The campaign team aims to hold a number of smaller campaign events in several movie theatres in Minsk on March 12, 17, and 18, but they have yet to receive permission from the local authorities. ¶7. (C) Kornyenko noted the Belarusian Assembly of Democratic NGOs, an independent umbrella organization representing over 200 de-registered NGOs, was planning a musical concert at Bangalore Square in Minsk on March 18, one day before Election Day. The Milinkevich team is involved in seeking a permit from the Minsk city authorities to hold the concert at this location, but Kornyenko was not able to provide more details. Election Day Plans -------------- ¶8. (C) Fielding Supporters At Polling Stations Reexamined Kornyenko noted that earlier plans to call on Milinkevich supporters to go to their local polling stations around the country to protest possible election fraud have been modified yet again. The campaign team now believes organizing such an effort is unrealistic, and more attention should be focused on organizing a massive rally in Minsk. At best, the Milinkevich team will call on supporters to defend their vote at eight precinct elections commissions in the regions. ¶9. (C) Ten Plus, Civic Organizations Agree On Joint Rally Kornyenko said the Ten Plus Coalition has reached an agreement with the leaders of several NGOs and civic initiatives on the need to hold a united rally at October Square on March 19 at 8pm. The most active civil society groups or initiatives, including human rights NGO Charter 97, youth NGO Zubr, the organizers of the Khopets ("Enough") campaign, and the youth NGO Right Alliance agreed that it was more effective to concentrate their efforts on a single rally rather than organizing several independent rallies on different days (reftel). However, each group would use their own letterhead (and not that of the Milinkevich team) and their own methods for advertising the March 19 rally. Kornyenko added that the organizers of the Khopets campaign, which aims to organize "mini-Maidans" in several cities around the country, informed him they will also try to mobilize voters on March 20. Exit Poll In Jeopardy? -------------- ¶10. (C) Kornyenko recently heard from the IRI representative in Vilnius that conducting an exit poll may no longer be possible, due to the increasingly hostile political environment in Belarus. Kornyenko understood the complications involved with conducting an exit poll, but he warned that without one the Milinkevich team would not be able to offer voters independent proof that the Lukashenko MINSK 00000270 003 OF 003 regime rigged the elections, thus making it difficult to stage a large protest rally on Election Day. Tension In The Milinkevich Team Over Jeans Campaign -------------- -------------- ¶11. (C) When asked about the level of coordination between Zubr's and Charter 97's "Jeans" campaign and the Milinkevich campaign, Kornyenko noted that Milinkevich announced his strong support of the Jeans campaign during the candidate's March 2 campaign rally and stated he would always wear a blue scarf and/or blue tie as a symbol of his solidarity. (Note: The Jeans campaign is an effort by Zubr and Charter 97 to encourage supporters of democratic change to unite by wearing denim clothing and/or Jeans campaign paraphernalia.) However, Kornyenko revealed that he and other members of the campaign team were disappointed with Milinkevich's decision to personally endorse the Jeans campaign. ¶12. (C) Kornyenko noted Milinkevich did not consult his campaign team before making the announcement. Furthermore, the Milinkevich campaign team remains unconvinced that aligning Milinkevich with a particular color will help him gather more popular support in Belarus. Kornyenko added that since Milinkevich's decision to endorse the Jeans campaign, Charter 97 and Zubr sent to Milinkevich headquarters a box full of Jeans ribbons for distribution. (Note: Kornyenko was clearly upset that Charter 97 and Zubr wanted the Milinkevich team to help them distribute the ribbons.) Following Elections, Unity Will Be A Big Challenge -------------- -------------- ¶13. (C) Kornyenko admitted that following the elections, Milinkevich will have to work extra hard to keep the Ten Plus Coalition from fragmenting. He stressed Anatoly Lebedko's United Civic Party (UCP) still has not been able to accept the results of the October 2-3 Congress of Democratic Forces, when Lebedko lost the presidential nomination to Milinkevich by only eight votes, and said the UCP was the most likely organization to defect from the coalition following the elections. Kornyenko noted that even during the campaign, the Milinkevich team has encountered serious setbacks in large cities like Grodno, Brest, and Gomel because of infighting among political parties. That said, Kornyenko stressed UCP leader Lebedko has demonstrated considerable support to Milinkevich's candidacy. The deputy campaign manager concluded that the more Milinkevich increased his name recognition and support among voters, the more likely the coalition would remain united behind Milinkevich after March 19. Comment -------------- ¶14. (C) The Ten Plus Coalition team has come a long way since the October 2-3 Democratic Congress. Milinkevich and his campaign team have dedicated considerable attention and resources to establishing contact with voters all over the country. The team's resolve to carry out campaign activities in Minsk and in the regions, despite blatant attempts by the GOB to restrict or prevent their activities, is impressive. ¶15. (C) However, the elections are less than two weeks away, and the regime is trying hard to keep Belarusians' attention off the elections and the opposition candidates and focused on Lukashenko's accomplishments. Milinkevich's rallies and Kozulin's recent clashes with Belarusian security forces have created a certain excitement, but so far Minsk and much of the rest of Belarus remain devoid of "election fever." The Milinkevich team seems to be fully aware that despite their best efforts, organizing massive popular support for democratic change on Election Day will be extremely difficult. While not giving up on prospects for change on March 19, the Milinkevich team is looking at the equally hard task of maintaining a strong, united opposition to continue the struggle beyond Election Day. Krol