CEC prohibits unregistered candidates to use legal aid during consideration of their complaints

The Central electoral commission has started consideration of the complaints of the persons who had not been registered as candidates for the Chamber of Representatives of the fourth convocation.

Pavel Levinau, representative of one of Iryna Yaskevich (who was not registered at Vitsebsk-Chkalauskaya constituency #18) was not admitted to the CEC sitting.

A worker of the legal department of the CEC Halina Mktrchan explained to Iryna Yatskevich that the Central electoral commission had allegedly ruled to prohibit the persons who complaint against their non-registration to use the services of their representatives for ‘preserving equal conditions for all pretenders’. According to the CEC, the equality of conditions means that if somebody does not use such aid, the other must not do it as well. However, Mktrchan refused to present the appropriate ruling for familiarization.

Article 62 of the Constitution of Belarus reads: ‘Everyone has the right to legal assistance for realization and protection of rights and freedoms, including the right to use at any moment the assistance of lawyers and other his/her representatives at court and other state organs, the organs of local self-government, at enterprises and institutions, in organizations, public associations and in relations with duty officials and citizens. Counteraction to rendering legal assistance in the Republic of Belarus is prohibited.’

Human rights activists for free elections