Homel: Leanid Suladenka’s initiative group warned for informational leaflet

The team of the candidate of the united democratic forces Leanid Sudalenka received the first warning. On 7 August the chair of Khoiniki district electoral commission #47 Viktar Vaskevich phoned to Sudalenka to inform him about it.

According to him, the following leaflet got even to Vaskevich’s postbox. 

On 28 September the elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus will take place!

Dear citizens,

On 9 August 2008 at 11 p.m. in the town of Khoiniki on the territory of the market there will be collected signatures in support of the candidate of the united democratic forces Leanid Sudalenka. Alexander Milinkevich, ex-candidate to president, holder of Andrey Sakharov prize will take part in collection of signatures.

We call You to support the worthy candidacy with Your signature!

Initiative group #1 on collecting of signatures (contact telephone 654-70-11)
Circulation 1 500 copies. Printed on printer.

The head of the commission considered this leaflet as agitation and issued a warning to the candidate. Mr. Sudalenka is of a different opinion:

‘I really produced these leaflets on my own printer and distributed them, but there are no violations. The electoral laws do not regulate the activities of the initiative groups, whose activity on collection of signatures already is agitation. Then, if we follow the logics of the chairman of the commission, for this alone I must be excluded from the electoral race.’

Bear in mind that earlier the secretary of the central electoral commission Mikalai Lazavik stated: ‘potential candidates have the opportunity to meet with electors already before the beginning of the official agitation campaign. By collecting signatures members of their initiative groups agitate for their candidate, to a certain extent. It is an additional opportunity to popularize a person among the electorate.’