Alyaksandr Milinkevich: “Tomorrow We Meet At Freedom Square” :: Charter'97 :: News

The meeting of voters with the single democratic candidate to presidency in Belarus, Alyaksandr Milinkevich, is to take place tomorrow, on March 2, at 6 p.m. on Svaboda Square (Freedom Square) in Minsk. The single democratic candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich and the head of his electoral headquarters Syarhei Kalyakin have told about that at a press conference today. “Tomorrow we meet with our voters on Svaboda Square in Minsk. The legislation of the Republic of Belarus, allows candidates for presidency to meet with voters in any public places. And we shall use that right. We have not to ask permission from the authorities, we can inform them about the place of the meeting, and they are to guarantee public order there. Tomorrow is the decisive day of our attitude towards the events in the country,” Alyaksandr Milinkevich said.

During the press conference the head of the campaign headquarters of Alyaksandr Milinkevich Syarhei Kalyakin commented on yesterday’s statements by the Central Elections Commission head Lidziya Yarmoshyna, who said that an authorization of Minsk city executive committee is needed for meetings with voters.

“The authorities are applying unprecedented pressure on activists of the single candidate for presidency. At the same time, a wide campaign for Lukashenka in mass media had been launched with violation of all possible rules. Today we can witness shocking violation of the right for equal agitation non-stop. Belarus had never observed such a cynical campaign before. These events could hardly be called elections. March 2 can become a touchstone of the attitude towards elections in Belarus for Belarusian citizens and international observers. On this day, entirely in keeping with the Constitution and the Electoral Code, we organize a meeting of Alyaksandr Milinkevich with voters,” told the head of the single democratic candidate’s headquarters.

As said by Kalyakin, yesterday’s statement by Yarmoshyna is illegal. “Yarmoshyna’s statement is not based on law, it is criminal, it contains element of crime. That is why Lidziya Yarmoshyna has either forgotten when she read Electoral Code, or her opinion is not an opinion of a lawyer, the CEC chairperson, but of a man in the street who does not know the electoral legislation of the republic of Belarus,” the politician said.

The head of Alyaksandr Milinkevich’s headquarters noted that the Electoral Code contains Article 16, stipulating a right of free discussing of platforms of candidates at meetings and assemblies. According to this article, state organs must facilitate such meetings. Article 45 of the Electoral Code of Belarus on campaigning for candidates for presidency states that Belarusian citizens, political parties, public associations, candidate’s agents have a right of free campaigning for election of candidates for presidency at meetings and assemblies.

“Stating that Milinkevich does not have a right to hold such a meeting, Lidziya Yarmoshyna performs acts under Article 191 of the Criminal Code – hindering a citizen from exercising his/her electoral rights, which is punished by restriction of liberty. When these actions are performed by an official or by previous concert, they are punished by up to 5 years of restriction of liberty. In fact, yesterday Yarmoshyna performed instigation to committing a criminal offence. When a person who is to guard elections performs such actions, the elections are turning not even in a farce, but in a criminal act, headed by highest officials of Belarus,” Syarhei Kalyakin said.

Alyaksandr Milinkevich and Syarhei Kalyakin have called upon the Belarusians to come to Svaboda Square in Minsk tomorrow, March 2 at 6 p.m., to enjoy their right for meeting with a presidential hopeful.

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