Authorities Get Scared of European Belarus Signature-Collecting Pickets

The officials are particularly afraid of a change of power.

The parliamentary campaign participants of the European Belarus civil campaign are being warned on far-fetched pretexts.

Activist Andrei Voynich was summoned to a meeting of the election commission of the Hrushauka electoral district # 98. He was accused of the fact that during the picket he, at the request of one of the Minsk residents who signed for his nomination, gave him the address of his channel on Youtube, written down on a piece of paper. For this, the chairman of the commission L. Filimonava issued a warning to the activist.

“This is not a violation of the electoral law to give a person a phone number or a social networks account address. A candidate can complain about the commission’s actions, and the complaint must be satisfied,” Leanid Sudalenka, observer of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”, said in a comment to the press-center of the European Belarus.

Andrei Voynich himself believes that members of the commission are nervous because of the daily pickets to collect signatures.

“My pickets took place all over the district - both near the Mikhalova metro station, and in the center, the City Wall, and large shops. The work of other contenders is not noticeable here. At the same time, almost at every picket there were attempts at provocations, supposedly random passers-by offered to sign without showing a passport, and at that time they were shot with a hidden camera. Representatives of the “Belaya Rus” are also involved in such provocations. For example, a complaint against me was written by a member of the initiative group of the pro-government candidate Artsyukh. I think that they are very annoyed by the vigorous activities of our activists,” said Andrei Voynich.

Two more campaign participants were also called to the commission meetings. Valer Bychkouski, who collects signatures for his nomination in the Pushkinski electoral district #103, received a complaint from the administration of the Skala shopping center. The activist was accused of “breaking public order”. Chairman of the commission I. Drozd decided not to take responsibility, issuing a warning on a far-fetched occasion and redirected the complaint to the “competent authorities”, on which Valer was notified in the written form.

Vasil Zhorau, a campaign participant in the Staravilenski electoral district #105, was warned over the fact that his biography on the stand said he wanted a change of power. The initiator was Head of the commission B. Kruchkou.

Several more activists of the European Belarus are awaiting a call to commission meetings.