The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Local observers, activists of NGOs and political parties were surprised with the schedule of meetings with voters worked out by district commission of Orsha Dniaprouskaya district # 27. The district covers three administrative units – Orsha city, Orsha rayon, and Dubrouna rayon. The district commission planned 5 meetings with voters during the open campaign period… all five are in Orsha city. The commission did not think it was necessary to organizae meetings with voters in Orsha and Dubrouna rayons. The so-called groups of “facilitating the election process” composed of the local officials also failed to render assistance with that.

Formation of precinct election commission ended almost two weeks ago, on August 13th. However, all interested parties of the election campaign still do not have complete information about members of Minsk precinct commissions.

After August 13th when interested citizens, representatives of political parties and non-governmental organizations called rayon administrations to find out if their representatives had become commission members, they received similar answers: “You can read that in the press”. The only exclusion was organizational department of Savetski rayon administration: a representative of the Party of Communists of Belarus from election district # 106 made an inquiry and received all information he needs. Practice has shown, it is very difficult to receive information about all precinct commissions from Minsk press. A group of enthusiasts tried to do that in a joint effort and encountered the following:

Incumbent member of the Chamber of Representatives Tatsiana Holubeva, who is running for the next term, has been actively agitating for two weeks already. She visits the enterprises located in her district and carries out “meetings to report of her activities as an MP to the voters”. During the meetings she talks about the new laws passed with her support and explains what she will be able to do for Smarhon if she is elected again.

On August 19th and 21st Holubeva appeared on Smarhon local cable TV.

Registration of candidates to the Chamber of Representatives takes place until August 28th, 2008. However, the pro-governmental nominees have already started agitation.

BPF member Siarhei Salash has submitted documents for registration as a candidate to the Chamber of Representatives in Barysau rural district # 63. He was nominated by citizens through signature collection. Yesterday evening, on August 25th he found a police summons in his mailbox. Deputy head of infringement prevention department of Barysau rayon police Aleh Volkau invited Salash to come on August 18th at 10 a.m. and give explanations about an administrative infringement.

Members of the United Civic Party and BPF Party are registered as observers in Rechytsa district election commission. The observers are informed about sessions of the commission in time.

Homel newspapers published positive comments of CIS observer Anatoly Bekeshchenko about organization of the election process in Homel region.

All election commissions have been formed. Human rights defenders point out, the process was closed for the public – all over the country observers were simply not admitted to the sessions of the executive bodies of power. It was also impossible to look through the documents about nomination of representatives to commissions. For instance, Hrodna rayon executive committee sent an official response to observer Mikola Voran, who had requested an opportunity to get acquainted with minutes of the sessions of NGOs and political parties and meetings of work collectives nominating representatives to commissions, and with signatures collected in support of such nominations. In the official reply he read that “observers are not entitled to that”.

As we found out from the state press, 1192 persons were nominated through signature collection, by work collectives, political parties and NGOs to 107 precinct election commissions in two election districts of Barysau.

Meanwhile, Barysau rayon executive committee made a decision to include 1107 persons in the precinct commissions.

Homel, Maladechna and Vitebsk officials work hard