Lukashenka’s supporters continue violating electoral legislation
Minsk
According to information of our observers, teachers of secondary schools #121, 191 and 19 in Minsk were offered to take compensatory holidays for taking part in collecting signatures at the electoral pickets of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, for which they were promised 'good wage bonuses'.
The teachers who take part in the picket confessed this fact and were ready to give large interviews about the collection of signatures for Lukashenka during the working day and other measures taken by the administration of their schools. However, they suddenly disappeared from electoral pickets soon afterwards, and those who replaced them don't speak much and refuse from being recorded on a voice recorder.
Despite Lukashenka's words that his electoral team can stop collecting signatures in his support and the 'generous proposal' to support other candidates, his electoral pickets haven't disappeared from the streets. However, there are fewer teachers in them – they were replaced with kindergarteners, who also say they were taking part in such actions only because of the promised wage bonuses.
Mazyr district
As stated by the coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy in the Mazyr district Ales Kavalchuk, representatives of the ‘state NGO’ Belaya Rus are collecting signatures for Aliaksandr Lukashenka in schools and kindergartens during the working day.
He found about it from teachers of one of the villages of the Mazyr district. According to them, representatives of Belaya Rus visited the village school and kindergarten during the working day and said that there was a ruling of the Education Minister, Aliaksandr Radzkou, recommending workers of educational establishments to support Aliaksandr Lukashenka.
The teachers asked Mr. Kavalchuk not to tell the name of the village to prevent the possible pressurization from the side of the authorities.
’It’s quite interesting whether representatives of opposition candidates would be allowed to collect signatures if they came to schools and kindergartens of the Mazyr district during the working hours?’ wonders Ales Kavalchuk.
Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections
