MP candidates from European list demanded to file income-tax return over 17 years

Pressure over candidates for MP from the European list, having begun after the list was published, has only strengthened after gathering the signatures of voters.

Vadzim Barshchou, candidate in Navapolatsk district #25, withdrew from running in the election due to a threat of dismissal from Naftan enterprise; Zmitser Shymaites, who had gathered the necessary amount of signatures, didn’t file documents to the election commission of Baranavichy rural district #7 due to pressure organised by his business partners. Candidates from Hrodna A. Panas and S. Charnulich were invited for a “conversation” to the local KGB office. Candidates from Mahilou Y. Novikau, S. Famin and A. Irkho were called to the Financial Investigation Department at the State Control Committee.

Candidate in Asipovichy district #89 Taisiya Kabanchuk was dismissed during gathering of signatures. On 20 August, militiamen tried to burst the door in flat belonging to the parents of Alyaksandr Irkho, MP candidate Mahilou-Leninski district #84. Mikita Krasnou, candidate in Autazavodskki district #92, was called for questioning in militia on the day of filing documents for registration. Tax inspection demands that Uladzimir Navasyad, candidate in Svislach district #94, file income-tax return over the last 17 (!) years.

Some members of initiative groups of A. Irkho, S. Charnulich (Hrodna-Zanyomanski district #49), K. Dzemyanchuk (Hronda-Tsentralny district #50) “disappeared” on 18 August, the last day of filing signatures, and didn’t come to certify them that made impossible registration of candidates for MPs.

Parents of a member of Svyatlana Charnykh’s initiative group (Syanno election district #30) eliminated more than 100 signatures for nomination of Charnykh, after they had had a conversation in the local administration. As it was made shortly before filing the documents, the initiative group didn’t have enough time to collect new signatures and the registration of the candidate failed.

Some potential candidates, mostly from countryside and nominating by individual entrepreneurs, didn’t have enough time to gather necessary number of signatures.

As the result only 51 potential candidates out of 61 of members of the European list filed documents for registration. All 63 candidates, participated in nomination, gathered about 107,000 signatures.