Attempts to get information treat as “destabilization of situation”

• 22.08.2008, 11:26

“Hantsavichski chas” newspaper hasn’t been given information about the results of forming precinct commissions for election of deputies of the “chamber of representatives’” deputies.

On August 20 the head of the ideology department of Hantsavichy regional executive committee Lidziya Zanko refused to talk to the deputy editor-in-chief of the independent weekly, Pyotr HUzaeuski, and before listening to the question of the journalist told him to write a written application.

Pyotr Huzaeuski had to get information about precinct commissions in the state-run regional newspaper.

“It has become a sad tradition. Our correspondents fail to conduct a dialogue with the chief ideologist of the region,” the Belarusian Association of Journalists was told by Pyotr Huzaeuski. “Lidziya Zanko refuses to answer questions asked orally, she just escapes from her office, and she sends formal replies answering written addresses”.

That is why Pyotr Huzaeuski wrote an entry in the book of complaints of the regional executive committee last month. The reply to it has demonstrated that the regional executive committee is not ready for a dialogue: “Your address and comment left on the complaint book are intended for destabilization of the socio-political situation in the region,” the letter of he regional executive committee reads.

“It’s good that I haven’t been charged with terrorism though,” Pyotr Huzaeuski jokes. “I do not know how a socio-political situation could be destabilized by words in a book of complaints. On the contrary, the position of our editorial office is aimed at open informational activities on behalf of development of our Hantsavichy region”.