Gathering signatures banned in student hostels in Belarus

Member of initiative groups from different regions report about bans on gathering signatures in student hostels.

As the campaign “Human Rights Atavists for Free Elections” informs, in many Belarusian regions, oppositionists are not permitted to gather signatures in hostels situated in the constituencies, where their candidates run in the elections.

Homel

Members of the initiative group of a potential candidate are not allowed to collect signatures in hostel #4 of Homel State University. One of them, activist of the civil campaign Our Home Andrei Aksyonau spoke with vice rector Syarhei Khanenya about the ban.

According to Aksyonau, Khanenya offered to write an appeal to rector Alyaksandr Rahachou and wait for a reply in accordance with the law.

“The decision of the city executive committee on picket for gathering signatures doesn’t forbid collecting signatures in university hostels. The hostel is situated on the territory of the constituency. Why cannot we gather signatures? We didn’t ask for a permission to enter rooms, we were going to do it in the entrance hall,” Aksyonau commented.

The activist applied to the city electoral commission for explanations.

The university administration explains its ban to collect signatures in the hostel refers to the hostel internal regulations and interpretation of the Electoral Code by the Central Election Commission.

Mahilou

Potential candidate Leanid Padbyaretski, a member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), appealed to rector of Mahilou State University Bandarenka asking to permit gathering signatures in student hostel #1.

“I had a meeting with vice rector on educational work Uladzimir Yaseu,” Leanid Padbyaretski says. “I said I’d like to collect signatures in university hostel #1. The vice rector answered I needed to write an application to rector Bandarenka. He will consider my request and give his answer at 9 a.m. next day. I did what the vice rector advised. I am waiting for a reply. But I could have rejected this way and filed a complaint to the election commission and prosecutor’s office,” the potential candidate notes.

We remind that Leanid Padbyaretski wasn’t allowed in hostel #1 of Mahilou State University to gather signatures on March 1. Hostel supervisor Volha Dzedavets said collection signatures should have been agreed on with vice rector on educational work Uladzimir Yaseu.

Salihorsk

On March 1, a complaint of the initiative group of independent candidate Alyaksei Valabueu against actions of the administration of Salihorsk Mining and Chemical College was found ungrounded by the district election commission.

As the college administration say, members of the initiative group were not allowed in the hostel to prevent them from gathering signatures of under-aged students. The administration also noted the people collecting signatures must follow internal regulations, which do not regulate an issue visiting the hostel by people who do not live there, expects for parents of students.

Head of the election commission Yakimovich thinks a hostel should be defined as an education establishment. Thus, bans established by the executive committee can be applied on it. The commission chair proposed to issue a warning to the initiative group for violating the rules of gathering signatures “in order they not to write appeals next time and disturb the commission members”.

After representatives of the initiative group had been given the floor, the commission didn’t support Yakimovich’s proposal and just ruled out that claims of the initiative group were ungrounded.

Alyaksei Valabueu’s team notes that after a copy of the decision is received, it will be appealed against in higher bodies. He emphasized that the situation with the hostel is a matter of principle, as all signatures necessary for nominating a candidate have already been gathered.