Vitebsk power that first year are anxious to strongly limit the possibility of any mass rallies opponents of the current political regime seems wrong when measured places forbidden for pickets to collect voters' signatures for nomination of candidates for deputies of local Councils of Deputies. Opposition rally did take place – rally in the downtown! And then, it seems officials did draw conclusions...
According to the relevant decision of the Executive Committee of Vitebsk, collection of signatures was banned almost everywhere in the center of Vitebsk, as almost everywhere in the center of at least 50-100 meters from objects that City Council gave a special status: they can’t be around to organize the election campaign. Among these objects and cars w / railway stations, clinics and hospitals, prosecutors, courts, region – building, mountains and executive committees, museum registrar, the police, the KGB and for some reason... "Shop number 87 Open Joint Stock Company " Vesta" (Lenin Street, 28)". It was also forbidden to collect signatures at public transport stops.
However, opposition supporters still found a "raft", which is located at least in the city center, but more than 50 meters from all of the objects in the City Council decision. Joint picket of activists of campaign "Tell the Truth" and the organizing committee of the party "Belarusian Christian Democracy" to collect signatures, held February 8 at the mall "Marco City", was perhaps the first in the last few years of street legal opposition rally held in center of Vitebsk. And representatives of the executive committee, which some time after the event arrived on the scene – despite the fact that there was a week-end – do anything about it could not.
Although prevent the holding of the event they still tried. First began to investigate whether those who collected signatures, a passport. And when some did not have passports, said that if so – then collect signatures and those not eligible. Then attention clerk Vitebsk City Hall drew stand "Tell the Truth" with information about the campaign "Popular referendum".
Deputy Head of the ideology department of the Vitebsk city executive committee Irina Puchkova said, that the organizers allegedly breaking the law "On Mass Events", as the information on the stand – it supposedly agitation and time campaigning in the election campaign has not yet come. To avoid negative consequences for the participants, it was recommended to remove the stand...
By the way, ladies collecting signatures of the executive committee did not come alone, but accompanied by a "suite" – some young people sporty (in order to feel them more confident, or intimidation for the participants and wishing to put a signature?) and men in civilian clothes with a camera who filmed everything on video (just in case?).
Nevertheless, the collection of signatures was held. Nobody was detained. And soon the townspeople notice: stop buses and trolleybuses "Freedom Square" moved a hundred meters closer to the "Marco-city". So now place "cleansed": if a picket to collect signatures, organized by the "Tell the Truth" and BCD week ago, was held today, protesters could be accused that they carry out the action in the wrong place – "at the halt public transport".
However, collecting signatures for nomination of candidates has been completed. But agitation campaign is ahead. Soon there will be presidential elections, too: there will likely also be collecting signatures – for the nomination is not the local councils, and for alternative candidates for the presidency...
