Some 15 state-owned printing firms, as well as a number of private ones, have refused to print campaign leaflets of candidates representing the Belarusian Popular Front Party, the BPF’s press-service reports.

According to the Party’s press-service, part of the private printing firms referred to heavy workload and said the fliers could not be produced before 25 September.

In rejecting the contracts, state-owned printing firms referred to various reasons. In particular, the Yakub Kolas Printing and Publishing Factory said its equipment has been set up to print at least 500,000 copies. Meanwhile, the candidate’s election fund could not cover the expenses.

Many stet-run companies said they were busy printing school diaries, saying they could only fill the orders in late September.

Only a few BPF’s candidates managed to sign contracts for digital printing, which is considerably more expensive than the conventional offset printing.

“Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”