The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 15 Apr 2010

15.04.2010 Baranavichy: Ryhor Hryk is not going to put up with lies of city election commission

The member of the For Freedom movement Ryhor Hryk who hadn’t been registered as a candidate for the Baranavichy City Council by the Baranavichy City Election Commission because of ‘invalidity of signatures’, lodged complaints with the Central Election Commission and the Baranavichy City Procuracy after the failed attempt to get the justice at the Brest Regional Election Commission and the Brest Regional Court.

15.04.2010 Status of victims of Nazism will remain unchanged

On 15 April the Central Election Commission denied a group of Belarusian citizens headed by Arkadz Shkuran in creation of an initiative group for preparation of the draft law On Victims of Nazi Persecution and passing it to the National Assembly.

15.04.2010 Information at website of Barysau District Executive Committee is incomplete and inaccurate

The website of the Barysau District Executive Committee has a section dedicated to the upcoming elections. However, the information is incomplete and sometimes inaccurate.

15.04.2010 Hrodna regional prosecutor fails to see any law violations

The Hrodna human rights defender Raman Yurhel, a representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, receive an answer from the Hrodna regional procurator Viktar Maroz to his complaint concerning violations of the electoral legislation.

15.04.2010 Salihorsk ideologists got a scholding

On 14 April a sitting of the Salihorsk ideologists took place. One of the main issues on the agenda is the upcoming elections to the local Councils of Deputies. Despite the evident formality and non-publicity of the elections, two problems were discovered – two democratic candidates who had received official registration and conducted agitation campaign, Aliaksei Valabuyeu and Viktar Yaumenenka.

15.04.2010 Hotsimsk: pro-governmental candidate uses administrative resource

Ivan Kazhemiaka, the head of the Mahiliou Tax Inspection, runs for the Mahiliou Regional Council of Deputies at the Khotsimskaya election constituency #54. As discovered by his rival, candidate of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Valery Karankevich, the pro-governmental candidate used the administrative resource.

15.04.2010 Elector to seek a meeting with Lidziya Yarmoshyna

The question of the unlawfulness of the agitation action held by the candidate Uladzimir Halaburda ahead of time was considered by the Minsk City Election Commission on 12 April.

15.04.2010 Candidate summoned for questioning by KGB

On 14 April late at night a candidate for deputy Ales Zarembiuk was given a summons where a reason of questioning had not been even indicated.

15.04.2010 Vitsebsk: opposition candidate can be excluded from electoral race

Uladzimir Ramanovich, a candidate of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party for the Vitsebsk City Council of Deputies, faces a warning or, in the worst case, exclusion from the electoral race.

15.04.2010 Lidziya Yarmoshyna recommended the Barysau district election commission to ‘equalize’ biographical data of candidates

Lidziya Yarmoshyna, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, recommended the Barysau district election commission to ‘introduce the necessary changes in the prepared for printing posters with the biographical data of the candidates for deputies, taking into account that posters of all candidates must contain equal scope of information.’