Homel Regional Court turns down claim by For Freedom activist

Homel Regional Court dismissed the claim by Piotr Kuzniatsou, Homel regional coordinator of the ‘For Freedom’ movement, lodged after his campaign team for the collection of signatures was not granted registration by local election commission due to exceeding number of its members.

 The activist was going to run for the Homel Regional Council in Mazurau constituency number 19.

In his claim the activist demanded that the Constitutional Court considered the provision of the Electoral Code, limiting the number of campaign team members, as unconstitutional. Mr. Kuzniatsou believes the Article run counter to the Constitution, which guarantees equal conditions for participation in the elections.

‘The Court failed to consider our claim on the merits – it announced that the regional election commission could not give judgments concerning the Electoral Code’s compliance to the Constitution, and our claim was turned down. What we actually demanded was that the Regional Court made an inquiry into the Constitutional Court, for I as an individual have no right to question the compliance of legal or normative acts with the Constitution. It was the court only who could do it, but it didn’t, giving us just a runaround reply,’ said Mr. Kuzniatsou.

He also said he would appeal the decision at the Supreme Court.

‘Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections’