Authorities Prohibit Candidate to Deputy Position to Meet with Electors

Berastse City Executive Committee didn’t allow Anastasiya Ilyina, candidate to deputy position of Berastse City Deputy Soviet to hold a picket within the framework of the agitation campaign with the aim to meet with the electorate.

In his answer the vice-Head of Berastse CEC M. Kuish referred to the law “About assemblies, meetings…” of 30 December 1997, Presidential Decree No. 11 of 7 May 2001 and decision of Berastse CEC No. 887 of 15 October 1998. He explained that holding of a picket in the locations, mentioned by the candidate (the square in front of “Yubileyny” supermarket, pavement in front of the food store in Kryvashein Street, 9 and the bus stop “Maladzivaya”) would “impede the normal functioning of public transport, the movement of passers-by and the activity of the catering enterprises”.

Members of Berastse regional department of PA HRC “Viasna” are of opinion that this decision impairs the rights of independent and party candidates, while candidates of the authorities (directors of enterprises, schools, nomenclature…) actively use the administrative resource.

On 15 February 2003 the branch members found one more violation of Article No. 73 of the Electoral Code: in his fly sheets the candidate to deputy position V. Valiushytski, director of Berastse Central Supermarket, proposes electors to pass their written inquiries to the supermarket administrator from 9.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. By this action he makes use of the supermarket building and the administrator who has to maintain non-professional activity in his working time.

That’s why Uladzimir Vialichkin, Chairman of Berastse regional branch of PA HRC “Viasna”, applied to Chairman of Berastse City Electoral Commission and to Berastse Leninski Borough Prosecutor concerning the violation of Article No. 73 of the Electoral Code and asked to recall the decision of the electoral commission to register V. Valiushytski.

Additional information can be received at Berastse regional branch of PA HRC “Viasna”:
(8-0162) 20-13-95, Aleh Dydyshka