Orsha: candidate cannot get printing house publish campaigning leaflets
A candidate from the Belarusian Popular Front, Orsha resident Ihar Kazmiarchak, has been trying to get the Orsha printing house print his campaigning materials for a week already.
Back on March 4 he applied to the printing house to order the leaflets. At first the order was accepted, but in several hours the candidate received a telephone call from the printing house and was told that he needed to bring a permit from the Orsha District Executive Committee. He phoned to the Vitsebsk Regional Election Commission. Its members consulted one another for quite a long time, but had to admit that such “permits” weren't provided for in the electoral legislation. The candidate also went to the executive committee, whose officers also promised to discriminate in the situation. However, the problem wasn't solved even after he addressed the head of the district election commission together with other candidates. The chairman confirmed that the printing house violated the law by demanding some additional permits.
Nevertheless, the leaflets haven't been printed. March 10 Ihar Kazmiarchak phoned to the printing house to find when he could take the leaflets, as far as he had already transferred the money for printing. However, he managed to receive an answer only after several attempts.
"I phoned them several times, and they asked me to phone later again and again. Eventually they stated that the printing house was overloaded with work and they would print the production ordered by the candidates only after printing all items ordered by the election commissions. I would like to remind that I transferred them the money back on March 6, but was told that I would receive the leaflets not earlier than March 13,” said Uhar Kazmiarchak.
As it follows from the words of the personnel of the printing house, this situation concerns all candidates. However, not all of them are satisfied with it. As a result, there appeared leaflets of a candidate from the pro-governmental Communist Party of Belarus, which were printed illegally and contain no imprint. The candidate is preparing an appeal to the election commission and the prosecutor's office on this fact.
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