Opposition hopefuls denied registration as candidates
Minsk
Three representatives of the Belarusian Popular Front have been registered as candidates: the BPF leader Aliaksei Yanukevich, Artsiom Liava and Yauhen Rybakou.
Anatol Liabedzka, leader of the United Civil Party, has also been registered as a candidate for Parliament.
However, Minsk constituency election commissions denied registration to a number of other pro-democratic hopefuls, including For Freedom leader Aliaksandr Milinkevich and the movement’s activist Mikalai Samaseika, as well as Mikhail Pashkevich, member of the Tell the Truth campaign.
Babruisk
Two representatives of local pro-democratic parties have been denied registration as candidates: Andrei Kazlou (UCP) and Aksana Samuilava (Tell the Truth).
Rahachou
Local activist of the Tell the Truth campaign Dzianis Dashkevich has been denied registration as a candidate.
Brest
Brest election commissions have not registered the nominations submitted by Liudmila Dzenisenka, local leader of the Fair World Party, and former leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Anatol Liaukovich.
Baranavichy
The city’s constituency election commissions have not registered Aliaksandr Halkevich (Fair World), as well as local pro-democratic activist Ryhor Hryk.
Most of the denials deal with large amounts of invalid signatures allegedly collected by the potential candidates.
The majority of pro-democratic activists that were denied registration as candidates are going to appeal the decisions.
“Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”