The state-owned newspaper Vecherniy Minsk has refused to publish the election programme of Yury Khashchavatski, an opposition activist, Belsat TV anchorman and representative of the United Civic Party of Belarus, his election agent Antanina Kavalyova says.
“Hereby we would like to inform you that your election program filed on 19 August 2016 to the newspaper Vecherniy Minsk cannot be published because it does not comply with the requirements of Articles 47 and 75 of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus,” its editor-in-chief Syarhei Protas writes.
Articles 47 and 75 states that ‘a candidate’s program must not contain propaganda for war, incitement to violent change of the constitutional order or violation of territorial integrity of the Republic of Belarus, to social, national, religious and racial hatred’. It must not encourage or call to obstruction, cancellation, or postponement of elections scheduled in accordance with the legislative acts of the Republic of Belarus. There should not be any insults or slandering Belarusian officials or other candidates.
According to Yury Khashchavatski, the preparation for electoral fraud is being carried out at all levels. He never violated any items of the articles above in his election programme, the oppositionist says.
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The film director and author of Belsat TV show Expert believes that the edituors might not have liked his words about president Lukashenka:
“For 20 years we have been living under the autocratic regime, and all decisions are made by one man, who is not very educated, whose main objective is staying in power, not further development of Belarus.
