Vintsuk Vyachorka: “Elections” can now be neither free nor fair

One can say with certainty even today that the “elections” for the “house of representatives” do not meet European standards and can be named neither free nor fair, Vintsuk Vyachorka, first deputy head of the Belarusian Popular Front party (BPF), said at a press conference in Minsk.

“Unfortunately, the current events make us speak that the electoral campaign is not democratic,” Radio Svaboda quotes Vintsuk Vyachorka.

At the press conference the democratic leaders gave concrete examples of political repressions against opposition activists, running for the “parliament”. For instance, two BPF candidates – Alyaksandr Mekh and Lyavon Autokhou – have lost their jobs. Local officials threaten to fire their relatives in the nearest time as well.

6 people from the United Civil Party have become victims of political repressions. Svyatlana Panamarova, who was to run in Nyasvizh, refused to take part in electoral campaign after she had been warned about her possible dismissal.

Party observer in the Central Election Commission Mikhas Pashkevich was detained by militia, and got 7 days of arrest for hooliganism. Some more UCP members are pressed via taxation bodies. So, the conclusions of Vintsuk Vyachorka are not very encouraging for the authorities.

“Even today we have all grounds to say that the electoral campaign, planning by the authorities, can be named neither free nor fair, it doesn’t meet the OSCE minimal standards,” the opposition politician believes.

As all opposition leaders think, it is just the beginning of political repressions.