Minsk: don't workers of housing service know the law?

On 8 April, workers of a housing service tore away agitation leaflets of candidate Vadzim Kanapatski, Deputy Chairperson of the Minsk city organization of the Belarusian Popular Front, from the notice boards in Barastsianskaya Street, on the territory of the Pershamaiskaya election constituency #56. When the candidate asked them about the reasons, they answered that the head of the housing service ordered them to clear the boards of any information that had no relation to the housing service.

Meanwhile, decision #475 About determination of the places for electoral agitation in Minsk during the election campaign for the Minsk city Council of Deputies of the 26th Convocation orders to 'Allow posting agitation printed materials about candidates for deputies at the notice board of housing services, hostels, medical institutions, cinemas and shops on the basis of the appropriate decisions of the district executive committees adopted on concurrence with the territorial election commissions … and heads of organizations'.

'I consider the actions of the public amenities service as a gross violation of the law', points Vadzim Kanapatski. 'The biased attitude towards opposition candidates exceeds the norms of the electoral legislation.'

The question of the legality of these actions of workers of the housing service was raised at a sitting of the Partyzanski district election commission by its member Andrei Tserashkou. His statement was put down in the minutes of the sitting. The commission decided to address all housing services of the Partyzanski district of Minsk with the letters reminding about the rights of candidates that are guaranteed to them by the law.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections