Shklou: threats of dismissal for electoral meeting with Niakliayeu and herding to Lukashenka’s meeting
This information was
voiced by Niakliayeu’s proxy Piatro Mihurski, a dweller of the village of
Dabreika.
On 1 December the electoral meeting with Uladzimir Niakliayeu in the Shklou
Culture House was attended by just 60 people. Piatro Mihurski states he has
personally counted the number of the present people.
’However, there could have been much more. Workers of different enterprises and
organizations of Shklou came to me and said that on the eve their
administrations had warned them against coming to the electoral meeting with
Niakliayeu, and those who would do it should be ready for dismissal. The
information is precise, but I cannot tell the names of the people and mention
the organizations where they work, as I promised them not to do it,’ says Mr.
Mihurski.
Mikhail Kucharenka, an observer registered at the Shklou District Election
Commission, says that he cannot either confirm or disprove the information of
Piatro Mihurski:
’I’ve also heard that in a number of organizations people were recommended not
to come to the electoral meeting with the presidential candidate Uladzimir
Niakliayeu. The people aren’t very eager to tell about such things, they are
afraid to lose their jobs,’ he said.
Mr. Kucharenka also added that at 5.30 p.m. on 1 December the rector of the
Mahililiou State University of Nutrition Viachaslau Sharshunou, a proxy of
A.Lukashenka, had an electoral meeting at the Shklou Culture House. ‘I can say
for sure that many organizations and institutions of Shklou received orders
from the Shklou District Executive Committee to direct a certain number of
people to the meeting. In general, each organization was to direct at least 20
people. The people went there not to lose their jobs. However, I think that the
effect that was achieved by the authorities by such forced meeting was negative
– many of those who came there said they would vote for an alternative
candidate.’
Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections
