Minsk: Ministry of Justice Warns Mass Media and Individuals

On 10 March the Ministry of Justice issued an official statement where it is said that a number of mass media distributed ‘defaming information’ about the present head of the state. That’s why the ministry warned about the inadmissibility of the use of mass media for insult of the honor and dignity of the president and other state officials. In the statement it is also said that the present electoral campaign is conducted in conformity with the Constitution and there could be no doubt in the right of A.Lukashenka to run for the presidential seat. The Ministry of Justice stated it was the people’s decision to permit it to him. However, some of the country’s citizens have other opinion and say the referendum of 2004 (as a result of which Lukashenka got the right to rum for presidency for as many times as he wanted) was conducted with violations of the law, which brings to the conclusion that Lukashenka has no legal right to participate in this election.

The human rights activist Ihar Lednik commented: ‘Athwart the norms of the Constitution and the electoral legislation that prohibited to issue this question to referendum vote, Lukashenka brought it for voting, thereby violating the principle of equality of all citizens before the law. This is a very serious violation.’