January 18, 2006 our initiative group has achieved the result and has collected 100 thousand signatures. The same day the Central Electoral Commission represented by Mrs. Yarmoshyna has made us the second warning (the first one as been made orally at the beginning of the electoral campaign).
The CEC has presented us an ultimatum. If we would continue to inform the population on the People’s Poll the CEC will treat the collected signatures as illegitimate.
This is a very clear warning. We should refuse to inform the people on the People’s Poll and then the signatures collected by our group would be accepted on the Lukashenka’s elections. But if we would continue to propagate the idea of the People’s Poll they will exclude us from the elections.
In connection with the ultimatum expressed by Mrs. Yarmoshyna I am carrying on the consultations with the leadership of my Initiative group and of the Conservative Christian Party – Belarusan Popular Front. After the consultations we will present the collective decision on our activity and position.
I beg the leadership and members of the Initiative group to ignore the ultimatum, to continue the collection of the signatures intensively and at the same time to inform the society on the necessity and procedure of the People’s Poll. Our activity is based on the Constitution and laws and doesn’t contradict the electoral Law.
Zianon PAZNIAK January 19, 2006