District electoral commissions are formed in Brest oblast

14.07.2008. Tags: elections-2008.

On 14 July Brest oblast executive committee and the presidium of Brest oblast soviet of deputies held a joint sitting on forming of district electoral commissions. 16 district electoral commissions were formed.

All in all, 260 candidates were nominated to the commissions. 84 – by collection of signatures, 65 – by political parties and 55 – by working collectives. The head of Brest oblast executive Kanstantsin Sumar emphasized that the commissions must work openly and transparently. ‘There is no need to seek flees on the candidates to deputies’, he said.

14 representatives of Brest oblast executive committee (OEC) used their right to be included in district electoral commissions and were included in it by Brest OEC. The presidium of Brest oblast soviet of deputies voted for including 14 more. Thus, 28 representatives of the local authorities were included in the commissions. There names were not called.

This time the maximal number of members (13) was included in each of the electoral commissions. It was said that representatives of all political parties were included in the commissions and there was no need to separate them into ‘white’ and ‘red’, ‘left’ and ‘black’. Nevertheless, the greatest representation in the commissions belongs to the Communist Party of Belarus (9), the Agrarian Party (4) and the Party of Work and Justice (3).

Brest oblast organization of Belarusian Popular Front Party nominated nine candidates to district electoral commissions, but only two of them were included. Brest oblast organization of the United Civil Party nominated eight candidates, but only two of them were included as well.

Siarhei Vakulenka, who was nominated to Brest central electoral district #2 by collection of signatures, was not included in it. The member of the Central Electoral Commission Alexander Kaliada, head of the main staff department, explained it by the fact that there was the highest number of candidates (22 per 13 seats) in this very electoral commission.

At least 20 candidates were nominated to the West, East and Mukhavets district electoral commissions of Brest. The smallest number of candidates (14) was in Ivatsevichy electoral district #11.

The largest representation among NGOs belongs to the pro-governmental ‘state NGOs’ – the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM) and Belaya Rus. Their representatives were included in almost each of the 16 commissions.