Hanna Anatolyeuna Kanapatskaya (Belarusian: Ганна Анатольеўна Канапацкая) or Anna Anatolyevna Kanopatskaya (Russian: А́нна Анато́льевна Канопа́цкая) (born 29 October 1976) is a Belarusian politician, former MP, lawyer, entrepreneur and candidate in the 2020 Belarusian presidential election. She is also a former parliamentary deputy, represented the United Civic Party of Belarus from 1995 to 2019 and served as an MP from 2016 to 2019.[1] She is known for her political campaign on calling Belarus to be freed from Russian interference.[2]
Hanna Kanapatskaya | |
|---|---|
| Ганна Анатольеўна Канапацкая | |
 Kanapatskaya in February 2015 | |
| Born | Hanna Kanapatskaya 29 October 1976 |
| Nationality | Belarusian |
| Alma mater | Belarusian State University |
| Occupation(s) | lawyer, politician, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1995 – present |
| Known for | Presidential candidate in the 2020 Belarusian presidential election |
| Office | Member of the House of Representatives of Belarus |
| Term | 2016 – 2019 |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | United Civic Party of Belarus (1995–2019) |
Early life and education
editHanna Kanapatskaya was born on 29 October 1976 in Minsk. Her father Anatoly Trukhanovich is a dollar millionaire and her mother is a housewife. She completed her education at the Minsk School no. 55 and graduated from the Faculty of Law at Belarusian State University (BSU).[3] She is no longer married, but has two children - Alyaksey, who studied economics at BSU, and Anastasia, which studies in Austria.
Political career
editShe contested at the 2016 Belarusian parliamentary election representing the United Civic Party and was elected as a deputy of the House of Representatives.[4] She won a seat in the 97th electoral district in the Kastryjčnickaja district of Minsk and was elected to the lower house of Belarus National Assembly as just one of only two opposition candidates along with Alena Anisim. The instance also made her and one other independent candidate to be the first opposition MPs being represented in parliament of Belarus since 2004.[5]
She stepped down from the position of parliamentary deputy in 2019 after a fallout with the United Civic Party following the 2019 Belarusian parliamentary election, where the party failed to receive any seats.[6] She also reported to have run for the position of member of parliament in 2019 but the signatures were invalidated by the Central Election Commission of Belarus.
2020 presidential election
editOn 20 May 2020, she self nominated herself as an independent candidate as she decided to stand as an independent candidate following a fallout with United Civic Party in 2019.[7][8] She also initially attempted to become a main single candidate from the opposition but her candidacy claim was rejected by other primaries.[9] She applied for the registration on 12 May 2020.[10]
On 10 June 2020, she claimed that she had received a total of 100,000 signatures as submissions to the Central Election Commission of Belarus and became the fourth candidate to receive 100,000 signatures and eventually became eligible to contest at the election.[11] She also refused to take part in television debates prior to the election and during an interview in July 2020, she claimed that apart from President Alexander Lukashenko, other candidates were relatively weak and insisted that Lukashenko is the only major rival.[12] She also revealed that she decided to run for presidency by claiming that people of Belarus have lost trust and confidence on Lukashenko's dictator rule for 26 years.[13]
On 10 August 2020, the election results were released and Hanna clinched third place among the candidates with a total valid vote count of 1.68%.[14][15] Kanapatskaya submitted a case to the country's Supreme Court, citing gross electoral violations, but the case was rejected. After the elections, Kanapatskaya announced a plan to create the National Democratic Party of Belarus, but it is unclear if it was implemented.[16]
Later career
editIn February 2021, Kanapatskaya was selected to participate in the All-Belarusian People's Assembly as a representative of "the constructive opposition", as claimed by the Telegram channel of the Assembly. Siarhei Cherachen and Ihar Barysaw, two opposition social democratic politicians, were reportedly also invited, but they denied that they would participate.[17] When Kanapatskaya was given a chance to speak at the assembly, the live TV broadcast was abruptly cut short a few moments into her speech. She publicly announced that she "recognized the victory" of Lukashenko in the elections, but urged to suspend any constitutional amendment proposal until after elections are held, roll back closer integration with Russia, pleaded against the ban on "national symbols" (e.g. the White-red-white flag) and for changing the measures enacted against political detainees to not include detention.[18]
References
edit- ^ "Former MP Kanapatskaya intends to become single candidate from opposition". belsat.eu. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ Times <info@bylinetimes.com> (https://bylinetimes.com/), Byline (27 July 2020). "The Women Risking Everything to Oppose Belarus' Dictator Lukashenko". Byline Times. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
{{cite web}}: External link in|last= - ^ "Выборы депутатов Палаты представителей Национального собрания Республики Беларусь 11 сентября 2016". vybory2016.by. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ Свабода, Радыё (12 September 2016). "Ганна Канапацкая: юрыстка, разьведзеная, дачка "легальнага беларускага мільянэра"". Радыё Свабода (in Belarusian). Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Opposition Figures Win Seats In Belarusian Parliament". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Radio Free Europe. 12 September 2016.
- ^ Свабода, Радыё (30 September 2019). "Ганна Канапацкая заявіла, што прыпыняе сяброўства ў АГП". Радыё Свабода (in Belarusian). Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Hanna Kanapatskaya to run for presidency". belsat.eu. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ ""Я пока не вижу конкурентов". Анна Канопацкая идет в президенты" (in Russian). TUT.BY. 12 May 2020. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Канопацкая не прошла. В оппозиционных праймериз будут участвовать 5 кандидатов". belsat.eu (in Russian). Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Former MP Kanapatskaya applies to CEC for registration". belsat.eu. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Former MP says 100k signatures for presidency nominations collected". belsat.eu. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Taking On Belarus' President Lukashenka: The Final Four Candidates". Current Time English. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ Wesolowsky, Tony (20 July 2020). "Sensing He May Be In Trouble, Lukashenka Tries To Blunt Election Challenges In Belarus". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Протесты после президентских выборов в Белоруссии. Главное". РБК (in Russian). Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Выборы Президента Республики Беларусь 9 августа 2020". vybary2020.by. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Ганна Канапацкая анансавала стварэнне ўласнай партыі — нацыянальна-дэмакратычнай | Навіны Беларусі | euroradio.fm". euroradio.fm (in Belarusian). 28 July 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ ""Апазіцыю" на УНС прадставіць Канапацкая, бо Чэрачэнь і Барысаў адмовіліся | Навіны Беларусі | euroradio.fm". euroradio.fm (in Belarusian). 4 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "Канопацкая на ВНС вступилась за бело-красно-белый флаг и репрессированных | Новости Беларуси | euroradio.fm". euroradio.fm (in Russian). 11 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2024.