Anatol Liabedzka Withdraws from Election
Source: www.charter97.org
The leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka stated that he withdraws his nomination from the election to Minsk city deputy soviet. The politician stated that ‘Alyaksandr Lukashenka`s statement that presidential election results have been falsified closes out any possibility of holding fair and honest elections of any level in Belarus under the current regime’.
In the declaration of withdrawal the UCP leader has also stated that only 60 out of 202 members of the United Civil Party who intended to take part in the political campaign in the ‘local election’, had managed to overcome the barrier of registration. Out of 537 activists of the UCP nominated to borough election commissions in Minsk, none has been included into election commissions by the authorities.
Liabedzka states that on instruction of Belarusian secret services Minsk printing offices of different forms of ownership refused to publish informational materials of candidates belonging to the UCP. City authorities didn’t satisfied requests for staging meetings and pickets in the spots of the city convenient for discussions with voters. Only one indoor place on the territory of Masherauski constituency and two spots outdoors were provided for meetings with voters. The same situation was in all boroughs of Minsk. Intimidation and pressurization took place against three candidates for deputies who are students of the Belarusian State University. A candidate for deputy of Minsk city council Aleh Korban spent 15 days of the election campaign in prison for taking part in the action of solidarity with political prisoners. Speeches of some UCP candidates on the radio were censored. Some of the candidates haven’t been given an opportunity to record their speeches at a time which suited them.
’Me and my agents were detained by policemen while handing out informational leaflets and when we tried to go to voters… I state that the recent campaign contradicts international standards completely. It is aimed at appointing, not electing deputies,’ the UCP leader said.
