Polatsk: ‘We were promised we would be able to collect signatures in our working time…’

A member of the initiative group of Piatro Yuzhyk (deputy head of Vitsebsk oblast executive committee) revealed in a private talk the way the initiative group had been created.

‘The people who worked in different budget organizations were invited to a special assembly, which was led by the deputy head of Vitsebsk Soviet of deputies Halina Muravei. They were proposed to get signed in the initiative group and hinted about receiving bonus wages and that the signatures for the candidacy could be collected in the working time. The people agree to it, being afraid of receiving reprimands at work. At the second meeting the certificates of members of the initiative group were issued. This time everything was quite different. The people were told that becoming a member of an initiative group is a matter of one’s free will. That’s why no bonuses would be given. At the same time, each of the newly-made ‘initiative group member’ was obliged to collect 120 signatures…’

Human rights activists for free elections