In Minsk, street posters, television ads and even automated text messages exhort Belarussians to vote in Sunday's presidential polls.
Who to vote for is barely mentioned.
After 21 years of authoritarian rule, hardline President Alexander Lukashenko just wants a convincing turnout in a vote closely watched by the West, while fearing no threat from the other three candidates, only one of whom is actually campaigning.
None of the veteran opposition leaders is standing. Unable to register, they are calling on supporters to boycott the vote, while admitting this is simply a symbolic tactic.
Just six weeks out of jail, opposition leader Mikola Statkevich sat in a Minsk cafe, looking remarkably fresh-faced for a former convict, his blue eyes still bright.
"A boycott is a weak position, I've always opposed boycotts of elections, but if you don't have a candidate, why go to such polls?" he said.
He says he is exploiting Lukashenko's wish for a semblance of democracy by holding a series of non-sanctioned protests, the last of which will take place Saturday on central Freedom Square, gambling that Lukashenko will not clamp down on participants.
"Lukashenko very much wants recognised elections. He is more cautious than usual and I'm trying to use this situation," he said, predicting up to 1,000 people at Saturday's protest.
- EU 'together with a murderer' -
Statkevich acnowledges his own freedom is also a Lukashenko tactic: the leader freed him early along with other political prisoners ahead of the polls.
"He justs needs a relationship with the West, to get money from them in order to scare Putin and force him to pay more, so that's why he let me out of prison," he said.
He angrily condemned the European Union after sources on Friday told AFP that sanctions it slapped on Lukashenko over the jailing of opponents could be lifted now they are released.
"Now the West wants to remove this signal and show it supports someone who commits crimes and killed his political opponents," Statkevich said, criticising leaders who "take photos with Lukashenko and sit at the same table with him."
"If they are together with this murderer, this criminal, then democracy is just words."
He says Lukashenko may try to gratify the West but will always be dependent on Russia's financial backing with cut-price energy.
"The source of his strength is Russia."
While the last elections in 2010 ended with mass opposition protests over rigged results and jailing of leaders including Statkevich, he does not expect repeat protests.
"People are ready to take a risk when there's a chance of victory," he said.
"We can only use this campaign to prepare for the next -- proper -- elections."
Not all opposition activists agree, however.
Dmitry is still serving a three-year sentence restricting his movements while allowing him to live at home, after he was convicted for taking part in the 2010 protests.
The 55-year-old said he backed a vote boycott.
"Can you really call this an election, when they don't listen at all to the people?"
But despite his experience, he said he was ready to come out and protest after the polls and believed others would turn out too.
"Of course I will go," he said. "If we don't change anything, how will our children live? With such deception, as slaves?"
"People are at the end of their tether," he said, citing the impact of Belarus's failing Soviet-style economy. "I think a lot of people will come out."
- 'Fictitious rivals' -
Only one presidential candidate, Tatiana Korotkevich, is fighting a semblance of a campaign -- but she is dismissed by much of the opposition.
"Lukashenko has only fictitious rivals now and they are silent, they are not calling anyone onto the square," said Statkevich.
"They are just calling people to vote and in Belarussian elections, the ballots don't get counted."
"We already know the results of the elections and it doesn't interest anyone."
But the 38-year-old Korotkevich has surprised observers by gaining support in double figures in polls with a mildly oppositional stance, raising the prospect of a second round.
But with huge question marks over the count, even her supporters are dubious.
"There should be (a second round), if it was fair. But it's hardly likely," said Alieh Miacelica, her pony-tailed election agent.
Her campaign seems to have become a "safe" outlet for oppositional views.
As Miacelica and other Korotkevich supporters leafleted in central Minsk, they set up a noticeboard asking the public to add "names of freedom" to a list of Belarussian historical figures and writers.
In a sign of the underlying mood, just three names, including that of Statkevich, were scrawled on by passersby, as passing riot police looked on dubiously.
Looking at the list, 63-year-old pensioner Alexei Myakhedka, said he backed the opposition boycotting the poll but would vote for Korotkevich.
"I'd like a boycott, but it's not realistic. They'll still cook up 70 percent for Lukashenko," he said.
"The opposition want a revolution, but Tatiana is for peaceful changes."
In Minsk, street posters, television ads and even automated text messages exhort Belarussians to vote in Sunday’s presidential polls.
Who to vote for is barely mentioned.
After 21 years of authoritarian rule, hardline President Alexander Lukashenko just wants a convincing turnout in a vote closely watched by the West, while fearing no threat from the other three candidates, only one of whom is actually campaigning.
None of the veteran opposition leaders is standing. Unable to register, they are calling on supporters to boycott the vote, while admitting this is simply a symbolic tactic.
Just six weeks out of jail, opposition leader Mikola Statkevich sat in a Minsk cafe, looking remarkably fresh-faced for a former convict, his blue eyes still bright.
“A boycott is a weak position, I’ve always opposed boycotts of elections, but if you don’t have a candidate, why go to such polls?” he said.
He says he is exploiting Lukashenko’s wish for a semblance of democracy by holding a series of non-sanctioned protests, the last of which will take place Saturday on central Freedom Square, gambling that Lukashenko will not clamp down on participants.
“Lukashenko very much wants recognised elections. He is more cautious than usual and I’m trying to use this situation,” he said, predicting up to 1,000 people at Saturday’s protest.
– EU ‘together with a murderer’ –
Statkevich acnowledges his own freedom is also a Lukashenko tactic: the leader freed him early along with other political prisoners ahead of the polls.
“He justs needs a relationship with the West, to get money from them in order to scare Putin and force him to pay more, so that’s why he let me out of prison,” he said.
He angrily condemned the European Union after sources on Friday told AFP that sanctions it slapped on Lukashenko over the jailing of opponents could be lifted now they are released.
“Now the West wants to remove this signal and show it supports someone who commits crimes and killed his political opponents,” Statkevich said, criticising leaders who “take photos with Lukashenko and sit at the same table with him.”
“If they are together with this murderer, this criminal, then democracy is just words.”
He says Lukashenko may try to gratify the West but will always be dependent on Russia’s financial backing with cut-price energy.
“The source of his strength is Russia.”
While the last elections in 2010 ended with mass opposition protests over rigged results and jailing of leaders including Statkevich, he does not expect repeat protests.
“People are ready to take a risk when there’s a chance of victory,” he said.
“We can only use this campaign to prepare for the next — proper — elections.”
Not all opposition activists agree, however.
Dmitry is still serving a three-year sentence restricting his movements while allowing him to live at home, after he was convicted for taking part in the 2010 protests.
The 55-year-old said he backed a vote boycott.
“Can you really call this an election, when they don’t listen at all to the people?”
But despite his experience, he said he was ready to come out and protest after the polls and believed others would turn out too.
“Of course I will go,” he said. “If we don’t change anything, how will our children live? With such deception, as slaves?”
“People are at the end of their tether,” he said, citing the impact of Belarus’s failing Soviet-style economy. “I think a lot of people will come out.”
– ‘Fictitious rivals’ –
Only one presidential candidate, Tatiana Korotkevich, is fighting a semblance of a campaign — but she is dismissed by much of the opposition.
“Lukashenko has only fictitious rivals now and they are silent, they are not calling anyone onto the square,” said Statkevich.
“They are just calling people to vote and in Belarussian elections, the ballots don’t get counted.”
“We already know the results of the elections and it doesn’t interest anyone.”
But the 38-year-old Korotkevich has surprised observers by gaining support in double figures in polls with a mildly oppositional stance, raising the prospect of a second round.
But with huge question marks over the count, even her supporters are dubious.
“There should be (a second round), if it was fair. But it’s hardly likely,” said Alieh Miacelica, her pony-tailed election agent.
Her campaign seems to have become a “safe” outlet for oppositional views.
As Miacelica and other Korotkevich supporters leafleted in central Minsk, they set up a noticeboard asking the public to add “names of freedom” to a list of Belarussian historical figures and writers.
In a sign of the underlying mood, just three names, including that of Statkevich, were scrawled on by passersby, as passing riot police looked on dubiously.
Looking at the list, 63-year-old pensioner Alexei Myakhedka, said he backed the opposition boycotting the poll but would vote for Korotkevich.
“I’d like a boycott, but it’s not realistic. They’ll still cook up 70 percent for Lukashenko,” he said.
“The opposition want a revolution, but Tatiana is for peaceful changes.”
