28 August 2008
Vintsuk Vyachorka denied registration as candidate in September’s elections

Vintsuk Vyachorka, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), has been denied registration as a candidate in September’s elections for the House of Representatives.

As Mr. Vyachorka told BelaPAN, a Minsk district election commission has cited “inaccuracies” in signatures on his ballot access petition as the formal grounds for its decision. “But it is clear to everyone that I have not been registered because I will interfere with pro-government candidates’ plans to win a parliamentary seat and will push for honest, free, open and fair elections. We are well aware that decisions on registration or non-registration as candidate are made not by the district election commission but on a much higher level,” the politician said.

Another BPF deputy chairman, Viktar Ivashkevich, and prominent BPF member Ales Lahvinets also have been denied access to the ballot, according to Mr. Vyachorka.