Assessing the role of mass media in covering the election campaigns, Lidziya Yarmoshyna, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, stated that ‘state mass media have the right to criticize opposition candidates during elections’, but ‘forgot’ to add that pro-governmental candidates also can be subject to similar critique with the aim of creating equal conditions for all candidates.
Mass-scale pressurization of the democratic activists who participate in the local elections is observed in Hrodna oblast. As stated by Aleh Ramashkevich, member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada, the authorities tried to persuade the member of his initiative group Yauhen Siankevich to leave the group. Chairperson of the territorial election commission Siarhei Chykun, Deputy Chairperson of the Berastavitsa district executive committee, came to the village of Alekshytsy, where pensioner Siankevich lived and proposed that the latter should leave the commission. Yauhen Siankevich refused to do it.
The Astravets district territorial commission on elections to the Astravets district Soviet of Deputies refused to register Ivan Kruk’s initiative group established for collection of signatures in support of his candidacy at the Shkolnaya election constituency #2.
The continuation of the trial on confiscation of the Polish House in the town of Ivianets was scheduled for 2.30 p.m. on 17 February in the Valozhyn district court. The trial is initiated by the authorities and is aimed at passing the Polish House to the pro-regime Union of Poles, governed by businessman Stanislau Siamashka.
On 15 February Siarhei Salash, leader of the Barysau organization of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, filed with the appropriate election commission an application for nomination of economist Zmitser Babitski, expert of CASE-Belarus, a candidate to deputies of the Barysau district Soviet of Deputies of the 26th Convocation at election constituency #15.
The territorial commissions in the Vitsebsk oblast consist predominantly of women. In particular, there are three women (23%) in the Vitsebsk oblast election commission, 29 women (56%) – in the commissions in the towns and cities of oblast subordination, 21 (70%) – in the towns of district subordination, 177 (66%) – in the district commissions, 81 (81%) – in the settlement commissions and 1 237 (81%) – in the village commissions. A clear tendency can be observed: the smaller a settlement – the larger the number of women in the commissions.
According to the information voiced at the republican seminar dedicated to the role of media in ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens during election campaigns on 16 February by Lidziya Yarmoshyna, Chairperson of the Central Commission on holding elections and national referenda, more than 3 500 initiative groups have applied for registration with election commissions in Belarus.
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