Smarhon: No transparency

27.09.2008. Tags: elections-2008, Smarhon.

Because of the boycott announced by civic activists, only two people continue to observe the election in Smarhon. These are the former contender Iryna Veshtard, who is an observer at a district commission, and human rights defender Alexander Dzerhachou, who observers the process at polling station # 5. During the first two days of early voting the observers registered a very interesting fact. In the end of each day of early voting, one commission member made a phone call and reported about the number of people who had cast their vote during the day. Who did he report to? According to the prior agreement between the observers, Iryna Veshtard was present in the district election commission, located in Smarhon rayon executive committee, in the last hours of voting. However, the commission members did not receive or register any information from the precinct commissions. This way, we come to conclusion that the election process is managed not by the district commission, but by the rayon executive committee. Interesting enough, on the first day information was conveyed through the phone that was located in the voting hall. Alexander Dzerhachou was able to hear that 0.91% of voters had voted (the average number in Hrodna region is 2.5%). After the second day of early voting the transparency disappeared: all three commission members who were present, refused to provide any information to the observer. One of them took the phone and went to another room where she reported about the turn out. The observer fixed about 35 people who came to the polling station on that day. This is 2% more. It turns out, at this polling station the number of voters who voted early during 2 days is the same as the average number of voters in Hrodna region who voted during one day. Obviously, this circumstance really concerned the appropriate structures, to the extent that they decided to use old techniques during the election process. That means, no openness and no transparency. Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections