Candidate Aleh Volchak Stands down Election Race

According to www.charter97.org

The human rights activist Aleh Volchak decided to revoke his candidacy from the election. In his note to the election commission he wrote:

During the last 10 days I applied to printing houses of Belarus asking them to publish my agitation fly-sheets. None of them agreed to do it.

The people can’t print my fly-sheets because they fear for their business. In these fly-sheets I don’t call to coup d’etat and don’t foment national or religious enmity. Actually, their content repeats my radio speech that was broadcasted by Stalitsa radio on 20 December 2006. Some directors of the printing houses openly say that ‘people in mufti’ advised them not to print any production for democratic candidates. I think that in such conditions it is impossible to conduct a normal agitation campaign in equal conditions with all candidates and openly express my views on the situation of Belarus.

In connection with the aforementioned facts I decided to revoke my candidacy to a deputy seat of Minsk city Deputy Soviet. It is clear to me that there are no more elections in our country. All of you, members of election commissions, take part in a premeditated action and are personally responsible for the people’s mistrust to elections and impeachment to the present authorities. By this step I support the call of the BSDP Hramada leader Aliaksandr Kazulin not to participate in such elections.