Hrodna pro-state candidates abuse office for canvassing

The pro-government candidates of Hrodna region have had an extensive use of their administrative resources and the public mass media to maintain their canvassing activities. ‘Hrodzenskaya prauda’ newspaper was especially active: in its issue of 21 April the journalist Mikalai Shlyk advertises the activities of his own boss – Alena Berasniova, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief and deputy of the Hrodna Regional Council. The same issue campaigns for another loyal candidate, head of health care department of Hrodna regional executive committee Ilya Yepifanau, who is running for the regional council in constituency #50.

Hrodna independent observers consider the articles as an obvious abuse of their office by the pro-state candidates.

‘Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections’