Baranavichy: Mikalai Charnavus addresses prosecutor

Entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus who hasn’t been registered as a candidate for Baranavichy city Council of Deputies, applied to Baranavichy prosecutor on 30 March. He states that he has collected enough evidence of abuses made by members of the election commission during checking of the signatures in his support.

In particular, Maryia Varantsova, Aliaksandr Shcharbatsevich and Hanna Fleita composed statements in which they confirmed that they had put their signatures in support of M.Charnavus, and the dates opposite them, by their own hands. Aliajsandr Shynkouski also composed the statement that the paper that was proposed by the election commission was signed by his wife, not by him.

Mikalai Charnavus also describes in his complaint to the prosecutor how the Stremavus family and others were cheated. Tatsiana Stremavus and her husband signed in support of Charnavus’ candidacy. In some time, members of the election commission came to them and, showed the signature sheet and asked: ‘Did you put the signatures in support of Mikalai Charnavus and the dates near them?’ Seeing her surname and address, Tatsiana Stremavus confidently answered that she had put the signature and the date with her own hand. After this, they asked her to sign a statement to confirm her words. That’s what unsuspecting woman did. However, as it has been found out lately, this document states that the signature and the date were put not by her, but by Mikalai Charnavus. Now it is clear why Baranavichy city territorial election commission refuses to provide Mr. Charnavus with a complete list of the persons who ‘confirmed’ to the commission that they hadn’t put signatures in his support. The commission is rather afraid that Charnavus can collect more evidence of the provocative activities of the commission members.

Mikalai Charnavus has collected a total of five statements about negligent or criminal actions of members of the commission. He filed them with the prosecutor, Brest territorial election commission and the Central Election Commission. He is also going to apply to court in the case of his non-registration as a candidate.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections