The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Last week’s main activities within the election campaign related to the submission of applications for registration of initiative groups to nominate candidates to the appropriate constituency and territorial commissions. The week was also marked by an active discussion of the decisions of local executive committees on the definition of places where picketing for collecting signatures and campaign events in support of candidates would be prohibited.

Valery Shcherbin, independent candidate how is going to run in the local council elections, is being brainwashed by the ideology department, say Salihorsk observers. The activist was summonsed for conversation to the ideology department of his company, where he was asked to provide explanations concerning his intent to run in the elections and recommended to join the Belaya Rus pro-government public association.

A Belarusian Helsinki Committee observer in Hrodna Raman Yurhel was not allowed to attend the meeting of Vishniavets constituency electoral commission on 22 February despite his official mandate. The Commission chair Siarhei Siamashka said the BHC central office had no right to delegate a representative for maintaining observation in local electoral commissions.