For refusing to vote – to a “black list”

College students are forced to pre-term voting.

For refusing to do that, students are put into “black lists” and have to write a letter of explanation.

A student from the Minsk Architecture and Construction College (MACC) contacted the office. According to him, all the college students who come from the regions are forced to vote early in an orderly manner, whereas the students from Minsk are being obliged to come to a public concert on the square.

“On September 19th a representative of the college administration visited us during the classes. All the students from the regions were taken off classes and sent to vote early”. For that the students were promised additional days off on Saturday and Monday. All the Minsk residents were obliged to attend a festivity on the occasion of the elections from 19.00 to 24.00 at the October Square. They told that 200 people must attend the event from the MACC. In general, it’s an idiocy: if you don’t vote early – you’re in the “black list” and have to write a letter of explanation. From my whole group, which has 30 students, only me and one more person protested against such a coercion”, - the young man shared.

“By the way, the director of our college Ivan Shostak is a proxy of the pro-government candidate in the Partisan district Aliaksandr Valchankou, the director of the Minsk State Machine Building College”, - the student added.

We want to remind you that during the early voting students of high education institutions and colleges, military men as well as workmen are forced to vote. This is being done to ensure the turnout as well as for the reason that the ballots from the early voting are the easiest to rig.