BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/03/2010

Belarusian opposition party complains of harassment of activists

Text of report in English by Belarusian privately-owned news agency Belapan

Minsk, 12 March. Belarusian Christian Democracy (BCD) insists that the party's representatives who plan to run in the forthcoming local elections and members of their nomination groups are coming up against "systemic" intimidation.

More than 100 potential candidates representing BDC, or 50 per cent of the total number, have already encountered pressure, co- chairman Pavel Sevyarynets told reporters in Minsk today.

People are threatened with expulsion from universities, problems at work and dismissal unless they withdraw from the local elections campaign, he said.

There have also been cases of direct persecution, Sevyarynets said. For example, BCD member Andrey Kashewski, who plans to run for seats in the Zhodzina city council and the Minsk regional council and has collected hundreds of ballot-access signatures, was arrested in the Minsk subway on 3 March and sentenced to 15 days in jail on the charges of resisting police officers, Sevyarynets said.

According to him, he plans to hand in the signatures on behalf of Kashewski as a member of Kashewski's nomination group because the young man is serving his jail term.

"I have been touring provinces for more than a week, collecting signatures for those who have included me in their nomination groups," Sevyarynets said. "I can say with certainty that what is going on in Belarus does not even remotely resemble free and fair elections."

The government has launched the intimidation campaign against BCD as the party has more contenders seeking access to the ballot through the collection of voter signatures than any other political party, Sevyarynets said.

As many as 203 nomination groups are collecting ballot-access signatures for BCD members, whereas there are only 71 registered nomination groups for representatives of the Belarusian Popular Front, 60 for representatives of the United Civic Party, 30 for representatives of the Hramada Belarusian Social Democratic Party and 25 for representatives of the Just World Belarusian Party of the Left, Sevyarynets said.

Even the pro-government Communist Party of Belarus has only 111 nomination groups, he added.

Originally published by Belapan news agency, Minsk, in English 1515 12 Mar 10.

Source:

http://www.powergenworldwide.com/index/display/wire-news-display/142405060.html


Partners:
Face.by Social Network
Face.by