In the run-up to the presidential elections, campaign-related websites spring up like mushrooms after a summer rain.
Unfortunately, majority of resources are either in Russian, or Belarusian, and do not have an English version, so the only way how non-speakers can follow the race is by reading some secondary sources.
But still here is my run-through of Belarus’ new websites having either something to do with elections or aimed at providing some general information to the citizens.
Third Term is Excess is a site where those citizens who think that Lukashenka’s third term is surplus can say nay to it;
European Radio for Belarus is still in test mode, but you can already stream it online. The playlist consists of oldies from the 80’s and 90’s, but from time to time they play forbidden Belarusian rock. News bulletins are very short, but I assume they’ll be extended once ERB goes full-mode.
Some new cartoons about Lukashenka appeared at a site, Belarusian partisan, launched by Pavel Sheremet, a famous Belarusian journalist who currently lives and works in Moscow at their public television channel, ORT.
People’s Blog is a new initiative to heat up public discussion of the elections.
Alaksandar Milinkevich’s website, to the English version of which I so infrequently contribute, has recently acquired a French section. Unluckily, it is as irregularly updated as the English one.
Alexander Kazulin’s site was discovered by me only when he mentioned it during his appearance at RFE\RL forum. The spelling of his surname in its URL is enigmatically illiterate – Kozylin. It makes me wonder whether I should spell his name thereafter.
Chopic (Enough) is a GOTV campaign group. The blue/denim colors seem to have stuck as pretty much the main tints of Belarusian aspirers after revolution. Well, again URL has a… hm… original spelling.
Sieviaryniec, one of Belarusian political prisoners, has been presented with a website by his adherents. Pavel is an ex-leader of Young Front and an initiator of a new Belarusian Christian Democratic Party, which is still in process of creation, and an English version of his site is under construction likewise.
And last but not least comes a site, which dubs itself a new multimedia portal of the Third Way community. It has got a few films you might wanna look at. However, as of now none of the videos are in English.