The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

The Homel coalition of the United Democratic Forces reserves the right to withdraw its candidates if the authorities don’t include its representatives in precinct election commissions. The potential UDF candidates stated it at the press conference that was held on 4 March in Homel.

According to Article 34.35 of the Election Code, precinct election commissions must be formed not later than 45 days to the elections and the statements and minutes on nomination of representatives to precinct commissions must be submitted not later than three days before the formation of the commissions. According to the timing schedule of the elections adopted by the Central Election Commission, the documents on forming commissions must be filed by 7 March inclusive and the sittings on forming of the precinct commissions must take place not later than 10 March.

The Hrodna departments of the democratic parties nominate their representatives to the precinct election commissions. 16 persons were nominated to them by the BPF Party that intends to nominate four candidates to the Hrodna city Soviet of Deputies. The Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada has nominated four persons, but some more members of the party will be nominated to the precinct commissions by collecting electors’ signatures.

Believers of the Minsk Protestant Church New Life lodged with the Supreme Court and appeal against the verdict of the Maskouski district court in Minsk by which it the church is sentenced to pay more than $100,000 for alleged harm to the environment (the soil samples that were taken from the car parking near the church allegedly contained excessive amounts of oil products).