Mikola Voran Protests against Censorship

04.10.2004.

Mikola Voran refused to record his speech on the state radio to protest against censorship. The BPF representative in Hrodna, whose speech was not aired by Hrodna TV, says there is no sense to record the speech for the radio.
On 21 September the viewers didn’t see the candidate from BPF. In his TV speech Mikalai Voran talked about referendum and called on voters to say “no” to Lukashenka.
In his written reply head of Hrodna TV channel Mr. Piartsow said the candidate would get on TV only if he brought his speech “to conformity with the Belarusian legislation”. However, the candidate does not think he has violated the law and is not going to self-censor his presentation.
The candidate applied to the district election commission. Its head Uladzimir Khlabich said the issue is solvable and promised to address it. Recently Mikola Voran received a letter from him which says that the district commission has sent an inquiry to Hrodna TV Company and is waiting for reply.
“It’s a merely formal reply. My speech will not be on air”, -- says Mr. Voran, “It makes no sense to record the speech for the radio, and they will not air it anyway”.

BPF Press-Group