Ex-lawmaker Skrebets says ballot access denial was intentional

2005-02-28 15:00:00

Minsk, 28 February. Former dissident lawmaker Sergei Skrebets accused a district election commission in Grodno of "deliberately preventing him from exercising his election rights" in his complaint filed with the Grodno City Prosecutor's Office. The commission in Grodno's District N52 denied Mr. Skrebets registration for a repeat election, which will be held on 20 March to fill the only vacant seat in the 110-seat House of Representatives. The politician was removed from the race after 81 individuals withdrew their signatures in support of his ballot access request. In his complaint, he says that the 81 persons are medical students who withdrew their signatures after they were threatened with eviction from the dormitory. He says that all the requests to annul the signatures were the same and written with one hand. The central election commission upheld the district commission's decision on February 24. Mr. Skrebets also challenged that decision in the Supreme Court.