CEC supports idea to prohibit pickets in pedestrian subways

Minsk city executive committee has issued a decision to prohibit pickets in pedestrian subways during the pre-electoral campaign in Minsk. Presidential candidates did not expect this.    Especially, taking into consideration the fact that no one prohibited pickets aimed at collecting signatures in the pedestrian subways. However, the CEC Chairperson Lidzia Yarmoshyna thinks that this decision is correct with regard to the citizens' safety. 

Yarmoshyna: "This decision has been taken for mass events, like demonstrations. Pedestrian subways cannot be used for that. As for signature collection - you cannot make a demonstration out of it, just a picket. That is why it was allowed. As for mass events, they are conducted in the form of meetings with voters. This can be a demonstration - this depends on how it goes, how many people come. Minsk city executive committee has no right to risk in such conditions".

Aliaksej Yanukevich, the head of Ryhor Kastusyou's HQ, has sent a letter to CEC and Minsk city executive committee, asking to reconsider their decision on prohibition of pickets in pedestrian subways. However, according to Yarmoshyna, they cannot influence the executive committee's decision or change anything. They do not consider it necessary.