News on the topic: Hrodna
26.09.2008 Hrodna: Youth forced to vote early
Today Siarhei Malchyk, agent of candidate Siarhei Antusevich, encountered a group of BRSM activists, who were stopping students and forced them to go to the polls and vote early.
25.09.2008 Problem campaigning: News from the regions
News bits from the regions
25.09.2008 Hrodna: Behavior of heads of precinct election commissions changes
Agents of democratic candidates and independent observers point out significant changes in the behavior of heads of precinct commissions in Hrodna districts. If on Tuesday the representatives of precinct election commissions were eager to talk to them and provide official information, on Wednesday they seemed to be different people. We believe such a dramatic change in behavior can be explained by the session in Hrodna oblast executive committee, which allegedly took place on Tuesday, after the speech of Alexander Lukashenka and his statements about who should really be the bosses at polling stations. Most probably, during the session heads of commissions received new instructions from the regional authorities.
23.09.2008 Ramanchuk’s team cannot receive data
In violation of the election legislation, which demands the elections to be open and transparent representatives of precinct election commissions of Hrodna-Paunochnaya district refuse to provide information to agents of candidate Yaraslau Ramanchuk.
21.08.2008 Hrodna: CIS observers impossible to find
Hrodna observers and journalist have already spent a week trying to find out the location of CIS observers who arrived in Hrodna.
31.07.2008 Hrodna: Show-sessions carried out for observers
Independent observers have an impression, district election commissions organize show sessions for them. Independent observer Yanka Kurcheuski was invited by phone to a session of district election commission # 50 by phone. From the very beginning he felt negative attitude from the commission members. They reacted very nervously to his Belarusian language. No important issues were discussed during the session. Only general phrases were said. In half an hour the observer was told the session was over and that he had to leave. However, commission members did not leave. It remains a secret what they were doing behind closed doors when the observer was sent away.
31.07.2008 Hrodna: Political pressure on Viktar Sazonau grows hard
In Hrodna the authorities continue pressure on Viktar Sazonau, human rights defender and civic activist. Today, on July 31st, he was summoned to Leninski district police department of Hrodna. The police questioned him about the blast in Minsk on July 3rd.
30.07.2008 Human rights defender undergoes personal search at border
Viktar Sazonau, Hrodna civic activist and human rights defender, had to undergo personal search at Hrodna railway station twice during one day. On July 28th Viktar Sazonau was travelling to Bialystok, Poland, for his personal business. However, the border guards found his name in some list and sent him back to the customs officers for a check. As a result, the train was delayed 15 minutes.
30.07.2008 Hrodna KGB persecutes democratic candidates
On July 30th about 11 a.m. Hrodna representatives of BPF Party Vadzim Saranchukou and Siarhei Antusevich (both are members of BPF Soim) received phone calls from Hrodna KGB directorate. Both were invited to come to the local department of KGB. Vadzim saranchukou told the KGB officer who failed to introduce himself that he had no time for such a meeting until Monday. Siarhei Antusevich said he could come to the office of Hrodna KGB directorate on July 31st, at 10 a.m. Formally the BPF representatives are summoned to give explanations about Minsk blast on July 3rd. In fact, KGB is persecuting activists for their participation in the elections.
29.07.2008 Observers denied registration in Hrodna
Hrodna-Zaniomanskaya district commission # 49 denied registration to two observers, Maksim Hubarevich and Yauheniya Vasilyeva, who gathered signatures in their support. They were told, the forms on which they collected the signatures do not comply with the norms. In particular, they failed to indicate full birthdates of the citizens. However, other commissions registered observers who collected signatures on the same forms without a problem. That is why the observers suspect that was not the real reason for the denial of registration. Maksim Hubarevich managed to register as an observer later – through nomination by the BPF party.
18.07.2008 Less and less transparency in Hrodna region
Information about creation of district election commissions in Hrodna region is less open than it used to be during the last parliamentary elections in 2004. For example, now newspapers do not publish detailed information about each of the members of the district election commissions. For instance, Vaukavysk newspaper Nash Chas of July 16th, 2008 published only the names of the commission members at district # 48. By the way, BSDH representative Siarhei Antoshankau was not included in the commission.
17.07.2008 Mikalai Lazavik pays incognito visit to Hrodna?
Unofficial sources report, yesterday, on July 16th, deputy head of the Central Election Commission Mikalai Lazavik visited Hrodna. He carried out a seminar for “troikas” from the district election commissions in the region: its chairmen, deputy chairmen and secretaries. The visit of the official was not covered by the official press. At least, Hrodna newspapers of July 17th do not report about Nikalai Lazavik’s visit. Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections
17.07.2008 Hrodna authorities continue to keep lists of district election commission member in secret
Hrodna authorities refuse to give any information on the requests of commission candidates, human rights activists, party leaders, journalists, and ordinary citizens about the lists of election commission members. They stick to the explanation that all information is available in the press. However, Hrodna official newspapers failed to publish the commission lists. Only the local Perspectiva newspaper published the list of district commission members in Hrodna rural district #52. UCP representative Alexander Pahuliayeu is a member of this commission. Hrodna authorities continue to keep in secret the names of the people who became members of other district commissions in Hrodna region. The next issue of Hrodzenskaya Prauda, which is supposed to publish the lists, will come out only on Saturday, July 19th. Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections
02.05.2008 Hrodna: pupils prohibited to participate in historical scientific conference
Siarhei Batura and Aliaksandr Liutomski, pupils of Hrodna school #28, and their teacher Aliaksandr Rabkou were prohibited to take part in the historical scientific conference.
09.04.2008 Hrodna: historians refuse to participate in scientific conference
Ten Belarusian historians refused to take part in the international historical conference dedicated to the 880th anniversary of Hrodna after the doctors of historical sciences Ales Krautsevich and Ales Smalianchuk were deprived of the right to take part in it.
