It Is Demanded from BPF Candidate Viktar Ramanishka to Censor His Fly-sheets

07.10.2004.

Rechytsa state printing house “Tytul” refuses to print pre-electoral fly-sheets of the candidate from Belarusian People’s Front in Svetlahorsk Viktar Ramanishka, demanding from him to coordinate its content with circuit election commission. This demand was passed to Ramaniska by the BPF candidate in Rechytsa Valery Putsitski who had the same trouble with the printing house. After the talk with the head of Rechytsa circuit election commission, vice-head of Rechytsa Town Executive Committee Vital Atamanchuk Putsitski had to remove from the text of the fly-sheet the slogan “Say NO to Lukashenka” and the appropriate text with explanations why. Atamanchuk didn’t even agree even to the phrase that the candidate was against the lifelong presidency of Lukashenka and demanded to change it to “against the third term”.

On 4 October all ten thousands of Viktar Ramanishka’s fly-sheets were spoilt. The surnames of Ramanishka and Lukashenka and the words “yes” and “no” were omitted in the slogans “At the election say YES to Ramanishka” and “at the referendum say NO to Lukashenka”. At first “Tytul” agreed to reprint the fly-sheets, but on the following day they said some equipment broke down and the director Sviatlana Drahun was away and one couldn’t print anything without her permission.

-- Of course, if there were no urges to say “no” to Lukashenka at the referendum, the fly-sheets would be printed very quickly, -- said Ramanishka. As long as I have such urge, they will protract printing of the fly-sheets and, most probably, won’t print them at all. I am going to talk to the director of the printing house and will revoke my order if nothing changes. I won’t change the content of the fly-sheets. Yesterday I talked to other printing houses. They are ready to print the fly-sheets if there won’t be any inquiries from the circuit election commission.

Press-service of the BPF Party