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Police attempt to break up opposition presidential hopeful's meeting with voters in Vileyka

Police attempted to break up a meeting that the United Civic Party (UCP)'s presidential nominee Yaraslaw Ramanchuk held with voters in Vileyka, Minsk region, on August 26.

About 30 people gathered in a private house for the meeting, UCP Chairman Anatol Lyabedzka told BelaPAN.

As soon as Mr. Ramanchuk began to talk to people, firefighters arrived and started making strange allegations, Mr. Lyabedzka said. After their departure, eight police officers, four of them armed with assault rifles, began knocking at the door. The house owner refused to open the door even after the officers said that the occupants were suspected of making drugs under the pretense of having a meeting.

This is the third attempt by authorities to disrupt voters' meeting with Mr. Ramanchuk, Mr. Lyabedzka said. "Speaking about the other two, we suffered the first setback when the Hotel Europe managers refused to rent a venue for an event to unveil Ramanchuk's election program," he said. "The second time, we were interfered with in Salihorsk."

"I believe the government has already started its campaign against Ramanchuk," Mr. Lyabedzka said.