Authorities curtail campaigning opportunities

Local executive authorities have enforced a number of decisions that considerably limit out-of-doors election campaigning locations in towns and villages across Belarus, observers of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign report.

The executive officials of Svetlahorsk district have authorized election campaigning on only 18 out of over 100 villages of the district. The town itself has 6 authorized campaigning locations.

Human rights defenders say the restrictions are caused by the shortcomings of the current Electoral Code that does not specify the exact criteria for choosing authorized campaigning locations.

A decision adopted by Maladechna district executive committee mentions but 8 legal out-of-doors locations for holding election pickets. The majority of them are located in parks and sports facilities, with only one situated in the town center.

The authorities of the town of Smarhon have left only one location for election campaigning events. The majority of the district’s villages have no authorized campaigning locations.