Signature collector denied entry to dormitory in Mahilou

• 2.08.2012, 12:22

However campaigning for a pro-governmental candidate is allowed there.

Mikalai Mikhalenya, a deputy director of Zenit plant responsible for ideology, ordered to prohibit entry to plant's dormitories for signature collectors. The administrator of a dormitory building forbade Alyaksei Paulouski to enter the building. Alyaksei is a member of the initiative group of Leanid Padbyaretski, Viasna human rights centre reports.

The administrator explained the signature collector would disturb people.

The dormitory administrator, who refused to say her name, collects signatures for a pro-governmental candidate – acting members of the “parliament” Uladzimir Vasilenka. Alyaksei Paulouski noticed she had nominating petition forms, but the administrator hurried to hide them.

As the head of constituency election commission No. 84 Mikalai Mikhalenya knows all candidates should have equal rights for signature collecting.

Human rights activist Barys Bukhel says about administrative leverage and asks if the dormitory administrator is a member of Vasilenka's initiative group.

We remind that Alyaksei Paulouski was detained by police on July 31 while he was collecting signatures for democratic candidates Ryhor Antanovich and Uladzimir Punchanka. A security guard pushed the alarm button on an order of the dormitory administrator. The activist was taken to a police station. Policemen heard his explanations, took him back to the dormitory and drew up police reports against the dormitory staff for a false alarm.