This is the first in nearly 10 years, the case of the legalization of the territorial organization of the Belarusian Popular Front party in the regions.
Local institutional structure empowered parties in electoral campaigns to nominate representatives to the precinct election commissions. During local elections only through their organizational structure of the party have the right to nominate candidates for deputies of local councils.
The BPF pointed out that in recent years, all attempts of registration of party organizational structures of the Belarusian Popular Front ended in failure. For example, the Party for a long time refused to register the Harodnia regional organization. BNF before each election campaign provides for registration of the regional organization, but officials denied registration on spurious grounds (for example, in connection with registration of documents submitted for registration improper font). As a result, the Belarusian Popular Front Party in the Harodnia region has registered the structure and deprived of the opportunity to nominate their representatives to the election commissions in the region.
Most primary and local offices of the BPF in the Viciebsk region were eliminated in 2003-2004 (before the referendum on the removal of restrictions on presidential term). This was done by decisions of local authorities in connection with the introduction of a ban on the placement of the legal address of the organizational structure of parties in a residential area of residence of the founders.
Political analyst Yury Chavusau commented site "Belarusian Partisan" situation with the registration of local branches of political parties and associations in Belarus:
"Formally, in Belarus the number of local organizational structures of parties is large enough. On January 1, 2016 there were 1127. However, in the vast majority of this branch of the pro-government parties. Opposition parties tend to have a lower number of registered offices, often this is the minimum that is required in . according to the legislation of one of the reasons – difficulties with payment of the legal address, which must be in the non-residential premises (then have to pay a separate office for each organizational structure) pro-governmental parties here have full public support: the local authorities give them a state or municipally owned premises free of charge. or concessional basis, for example, for the Communist party and the Republican party of labor and justice Council of Ministers decree even set a preferential rate of rent (0.1 from rents.) – not all charities are able to obtain from the authorities of such benefits.
However, the very existence of a legal address did not allow the legalization of the party structure. For example, the movement "For Freedom" has repeatedly tried to register the local branches, but to no avail. For this reason the association is deprived of the opportunity to nominate candidates for deputies of local councils and to nominate their representatives to the election commissions. Difficulties with the registration of organizational structures in the regions is one of the reasons for the nomination to precinct commission a small number of representatives of the opposition: to some opposition groups are simply not there necessary for this for the organizational structures that were clearly demonstrated during the current election campaign", – said Yuri Chausov.
narodny.org
