Dirty election technologies at mayoral elections in Belorechensk
Press Release, November 30, 2013
Mayoral elections in Belorechensk, the Krasnodar Territory, will take place on December 1. United Russia’s Yuri Fesenko and civil activist, editor of an independent newspaper “Belorechenskaya pravda” Alexander Kuznetsov supported by the Krasnodar branch of YABLOKO are the two main candidates for the post of Mayor.
The authorities are concerned about the possibility that the only opposition candidate Alexander Kuznetsov may win, therefore “dirty” election technologies traditional for the Krasnodar Territory are used.
On November 30, “day of silence”, illegal leaflets that call Alexander Ruznetsov a “political prostitute” , “traitor”, “Judas” were handed out. The leaflets also fling dirt on the YABLOKO party and YABLOKO Chair Sergei Mitrokhin by calling him a “Western hireling” .
The Territorial Election Commission was closed all day to prevent Kuznetsov’s election agents from registration. The website of the Territorial Election Commission gave the wrong numeration of the polling stations. It was done to declare the observers’ referral letters invalid.
The situation shows that the authorities will take all measures to prevent an opposition candidate from winning.
Posted: December 1st, 2013 under Regional and Local Elections.