Organizers of Mini Referendum in Homel Charged with Violation of Order of Mass Actions

11.11.2003.

On 7 November members of democratic parties held an improvised mini-referendum concerning the prolongation of the presidential term for Aliaksandr Lukashenka. The action was authorized, but the authorities defined a place far from the center of the city. So, the organizers took ballot boxes and went to the central market.

The referendum lasted for an hour an a half. Then the police proposed the organizers, the UCP members Aliaksandr Karniyenka and Vasil Paliakow to come to a police station and said that the marked was mined, so both vendors and consumers had to go out of it. The results of the referendum wouldn’t have made Lukashenka glad: 89,5% of the Homel citizens who have taken part in the referendum voted against giving Lukashenka the possibility to run for the third Presidential term.

Karniyenka and Paliakow are charged with violation of the order of mass actions. They will be tried on 12 November.

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