The reason for non-registration of the group is the fact that Statkevich is in prison, and people, who have a criminal record can not be President.
“They gave opportunity to Uladzimir Niakliayeu and me to ask questions. I surely used this right and pointed at a violation of the legislation and the fact that we addressed a completely different question – not the question of registration of the candidate, but the question of the will of the citizens to register the initiative group of Mikalai Statkevich. After all, no one knows, he may be released and rehabilitated tomorrow.” – said Maryna Adamovich.
Maryna Adamovich also told the CEC of certain points of the Electoral Code, which show that the law separates these two processes – the registration of the initiative group and candidate registration. Article 68 of the Electoral Code contains a provision, which states that the applicant must submit a biographical data including the data on the former conviction or criminal record. This means that the law provides for the registration of initiative groups and an attempt to be nominated of a person who has a criminal record.
Now the organizers are planning to appeal against the refusal to register the initiative group to the Supreme Court, also running the information campaign for the release of Mikalai Statkevich.
Meanwhile, the secretary of the Central Election Commission Mikalai Lazavik, during his speech on television talked about the refusal of the registration for the opposition candidates as named the fact that they had criminal record as a reason for this.
“I have the impression that some of the politicians, who aim to discredit the electoral process, offer those candidates, who can not be included in such process on purpose. Deliberately, so that they are not registered “- suggested Lazavik.
“This tendency can be found during several campaigns. There is one requirement: these should be people, whom the voters respect. And what respect could be for the man with the criminal record? “- he highlighted.
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