BREST CANDIDATES TO LOCAL COUNCILS UNDER CONSTRAINT OF AUTHORITIES
For two weeks Brest rumored that citizens, who decided to run for the local councils, were invited to various administration bodies and requested to quit the race. Some are threatened with dismissals from their jobs, some face expulsion from their universities, and some are just put to shame. Even school teachers fish out information about the possible candidates from their children. They look for compromising information, saying "they have been told" to do so. Recently the rumors have been confirmed. Brest regional branch of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" received a number of messages and applications about violation of citizens' rights from U. Vialichkin, V. Barbolin, and other citizens.
For example:
 On 17 January 2003 electrician Aleh Dydyshka was called to the office of the trade union committee of Electro-Lamp Factory. Committee head Savitski and deputy personnel director Pawluk met him in the room. They asked various questions: about his education and about his family, family relations, "who wised him up to run", what his program was and who his proxies were. The factory administration was especially interested if his proxies worked on the same factory. In the end of the conversation Mr. Pawluk promised to do everything possible to prevent Dydyshka from running and recommended to "think thoroughly", if it was worth running at all.
 On 20 January 2003 Tatsiana Drazdova, teacher of school #30, was called to the principal's office. The principal took her by his own car to the head of Maskowski borough education board L. Zhylich. Zhylich told the teacher: "I know that things haven't gone great recently with your work. There are problems. I suggest we shouldn't wash the dirty linen in public. You quit the race and we don't write a negative recommendation". The head of the local education board also promised Tatsiana to help her become a principal in the next 6 years and then nominate her for the next elections from the working collective. When she refused to quit the race, she was told that it was "indecent" to compete "with such a bright and experienced person as L. I. Bahdanovich", who is running at the same constituency.
 On 15 January 2003 Ivan Mishkow, driver at "Vuchgascenter" state company, learned from the company director that the latter would lose his post if he wouldn't make Mishkow leave the election race. Ivan Mishkow decided not to let the director down and quit his job.
There is a number of other cases, when officials invite "wrong" candidates "to talk and get better acquainted". Brest regional branch of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" will react to every case of such violation of citizens' rights of Brest residents.
For additional information contact
Brest regional branch of the Human Rights Center "Viasna"
(+375 162 20-13-95)
Uladzimir Vialichkin
