The Kastrychnitski District Executive Committee prohibited the member of the Conservative-Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front Yan Dziarzhautsau to hold a picket for boycotting the presidential election. The formal reason for the ban is that the picket site (Lenin Square) is allegedly occupied by the electoral picket of the presidential candidate Uladzimir Niakliayeu.
When distributing the latest publication of the independent newspaper Svabodny Salihorsk in the central market of the city, a volunteer of the newspaper, an activist of the Young Front Andrus Tychyna was detained by local policeman with use of force. He was handcuffed, and, despite of the indignation of the market customers, was taken to the local police department.
On 11 September after visiting the General Prosecutor’s office about 40 citizens from different districts of the country declared boycott to the parliamentary elections and called on everyone who had suffered from self-will of the officials to join this action. These people also adopted an appropriate address.
Members of the United Civil Parties stop their membership and work in the constituency electoral commissions in Homel oblast. They directed the appropriate statements to the presidium of Homel oblast soviet of deputies and to Homel oblast executive committee (the state agencies that had formed the commissions).
15 out of 19 registered candidates of the Belarusian Popular Front addressed the Soim (council) of their party with the request to review the decision on withdrawing from the ‘parliamentary elections’ by 23 September.
The authorities continue using mean methods of pressing the political opposition. If earlier democratic activists were arrested on false accusations of allegedly ‘using of foul language in public’, the article ‘drinking alcohol in public’ has been used for the first time against a Young Front activist Vadzim Khaniauka.
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