Sound cut off for candidate for appeal not to take part in early vote

• 8.09.2008, 11:04

On September 5 addresses of candidates for deputies in Vitsebsk Chyhunachny constituency No. 19 were televised by Vitsebsk regional TV on “Lad” channel.

The address of the regime’s henchman Syarhei Syamashka went without problems. The second to appear was an oppositional candidate Andrei Lyavinau. But during his speech the sound disappeared “suddenly”. It is hard to believe that it was an accident. Moreover, the address of the next candidate in this constituency, Ihar Kanyhin, was without problems, the campaign “Human Rights activists for free elections” infroms.

What words of the former police captain Lyavinau were prevented from being broadcasted? The answer is simple: the sound disappeared nit e moment when the candidate addressed voters with a request not to take part in early vote. The candidate said: “I urge you not to take part in the early vote. The procedure of early vote does not guarantee the principle of transparency: for the entire 5 days the ballot box is not under control of the district elections commission, observers and mass media since 5 p.m. each day”.

It is worth mentioning that it is not the first problem met by the candidates for deputies during their agitation campaign in Vitsebsk. Tatsyana Sevyarynets (Horkayski constituency No.17, Vitsebsk) faced problems when printing campaign leaflets. First Vitsebsk regional printing house refused to publish them as they were written according to Tarashkevitsa grammar rules, and then there were problems with the contents of the leaflet itself.

Alyaksei Haurutsikau (Chkalauski constituency No.18 in Vitsebsk) had all necessary documents for publishing the campaign leaflets in a private printing house. But its management refused to print it in the last minute. However, an analogous order of the pro-regime candidate, Viktar Auchynnikau, was executed by the printing house.