Violations of law during signature collecting for Lukashenka

Members of the campaign Human Rights Activists for Free Elections say facts of using administrative resources have been recorded in the course of signature collecting to nominate Alyaksandr Lukashenka as a presidential candidate.

As BelaPAN learnt from human rights defender Valyantsin Stefanovich, tehr ewere recorded some cases when members of Luakshenka’s initiative group, supported by the local authorities, collected signatures in educational institutions, health care facilities and factories. “We know facts when chiefs of state-run enterprises and institutions advise their employees not to sign for anybody else except Lukashenka,” Stefanovich said.

He stressed that article 61 of the Electoral Code of Belarus reads that “Participation of administration of the organisation in collection of signatures, same as enforcement during collection of signatures and rewarding of voters for putting their signatures are not allowed.”

Stefanovich also noted that administrations of students’ and workers’ dormitories do not allow members of initiative groups of opposition presidential aspirants to collect signatures in dormitories referring to absence of necessary permission. “In accordance with paragraph 9 of ruling #47 of the Central Election Commission of September 15, 2010, members of initiative group must observe internal regulations of a dormitory when collecting signatures of voters who live there.” Stefanovich said.