18.07.2008 Candidates to receive 800 dollars

Today head of the Central Election Commission Lidia Yarmoshyna said, the state would allocate 1.75 million BYR (about 800 dollars) for each parliamentary candidate. The money should be used for preparation of campaign and promotion materials. Yarmoshyma stressed, candidates are not allowed to spend any other money for their campaigns – either its own, or the money they get from sponsors.

Sponsors’ aid can be only given to a special fund created by CEC, which would distribute it equally between all candidates. “However, no one wishes to render such assistance”, she said.

Lidia Yarmoshyna also said, the OSCE long-term observation mission will arrive on August 11th. Additional 300 OSCE observers will arrive before the election.

18.07.2008 Initiative groups submitted documents for registration with difficulties

Ihar Maslouski, head of the regional organization of BSDP Hramada, was the first representative of the UDF who submitted documents for registration of his initiative group. He will run in Brest Uskhodniaya election district # 3. The initiative group for nominating him candidate to the Chamber of Representatives consists of 65 people.

18.07.2008 Lukashenka signs decree about 11-year secondary education

On July 17th, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenka signed Decree # 15 “About certain issues of general secondary education”.

The President’s press service reports, the Decree establishes the 11 year term of the general secondary education and a 6-day school week, in which 5 days are study days, and the 6th day is to be used for organizing sports and health-promotion mass events, professional training and cultural events. The transition to the 11-year school curriculum will take place on September 1st, 2008.

18.07.2008 Mahiliou: None of independent observers managed to get to first sessions of district election commissions

Mahiliou human rights activist Barys Bukhel reports, none of independent observers managed to get to first sessions of district election commissions in Mahiliou. “This happens because of the fact that there are the so called “holes” in the law. Neither the Election Code, nor the CEC rulings describe the procedure of observers’ registration before first sessions of all election commissions. There is also no mechanism how the observers can get to first sessions of the commissions.

18.07.2008 UDF remains in the election process

The question, how the United Democratic Forces will further participate in the election, became the main issue in the agenda of the UDF Presidium on July 17th.

When only 35 representatives from the unified UDF list were included in the commissions, and in conjunction with endless detentions of pro-democratic activists, some members of the Presidium suggested the opposition forces should limit their participation in the election process.

According to UCP chairman Anatol Liabedzka, it was proposed to stop election campaigns in the districts were the UDF were left without representatives in the district election commissions. As a result of the discussion, the Presidium decided to carry out additional consultations on that issue with the potential candidates and political structures within the UDF.

Liabedzka believes the democratic forces should remain in the election process for the time being:

-- For now we have as much political will to go as far as we can in the election distance. If we declared boycott from the very beginning today we would have nothing to propose except emotions and some old speeches.

According to Liabedzka, participation in the election allows the opposition forces to receive additional proofs how undemocratic the process is. In its turn, this will become the ground for the international structures in order to make a decision about recognizing or not recognizing the election results.

As for the UDF, they will say their final word only on August 24th, at the session of the Political Council. The stages of candidates’ nomination and registration will be passed then. We will be able to exactly say, if it’s worth to continue the election campaign, the UCP leader stressed.

17.07.2008 Local administration interferes with activity of Baranavichy rural district # 7

Officials of Baranavichy administration violate the law by interfering in te activisty of Baranavichy rural district commission. On July 17th BHC member Mikalai Chyzhykau came to the district election commission (room 302 in the building of the district administration).

17.07.2008 Many members of district election commissions worked during parliamentary election 2004.

We compared the lists of district election commissions in Homel region with the lists of the same commissions in 2004. It turned out many commission members already have experience of working in the commission from 2004.

The lists of district commissions in Homel did not change much. In district #35 eight out of thirteen members are the same people. In districts ## 33 and 34, four out of thirteen members are the same.

17.07.2008 First detainees to be released

Today the first political activists detained under suspicion of their relation to the 4th of July blast will be released. Viktar Liashchynski, Siarzhuk Chyslau, and several others will return home.

Let us remind the readers: on july 6th and 7th KGB officers searched the apartments of the people, who, in their mind, could have a elation to producing of a bomb. After the searches they were interrogated and detained for three days. When the term of the detention passed, it was continued to 10 days.

The investigators do not give the exact number of people detained as suspects in the criminal case. We know that there are people of different layers of society on that list – from chemistry students to “disloyal’ elements.

17.07.2008 Chyslau’s detention was not officially processed in time

Nina Shydlouskaya, the wife of detained Miraslau Lazouski, reported about the legal violations during detention of Siarhei Chyslau.

Nina Shydlouskaya says: “The detention documents are dated by the evening of July 8th. He, just as the other three detained former activists of the Belarusian Association of Servicemen, should be released on the 10th day from the detention, which is tomorrow evening. It seems the date of Siarhei’s detention in the police documents is wrong. According to Chyslau’s relatives, he was detained late in the evening of July 7th.”

Thus, Siarhei Chyslau seemed to be nowhere for 24 hours.

17.07.2008 Orsha: No UDF representatives in the commissions, no public allowed at sessions

In Orsha region (districts ## 26 and 27) none of the UDF representatives were included in the district election commissions. That decision was made at the joint meeting of Vitebsk regional administration and the Presidium of the regional Council. BHC representative Vasil Berasnou and Tavarysh newspaper reporter Mikola Petrushenka, who wanted to observe how the commissions were formed, were not allowed to attend the sessions/

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 First sessions of district commissions in Homel region

On July 16th district election commissions gathered for their first session. The commission of district #35 had a session in the building of Savetski district administration of Homel city (Rechytskaya Shasha, 6). At the same time, the officially stated place of the meeting was Barykina Street, 143. No one picks up the phone of the commission at its official headquarters.

17.07.2008 Opposition representative not included into Zhlobin district commission

There will be none opposition represnentaives in Zhlobin district. Two neighbouring districts – Rahachou and Svetlahorsk – have one UDF representative each. Civic activist Anatol Papou was nominated to Zhlobin district election commission by signature collection. However, he did not get the seat in the commission.

17.07.2008 Barysau: representatives of pro-democratic parties did not get seats in district commissions

Only today, on July 17th, the lists of Barysau districts # # 62 and 63 commission members became available through the publication in Minskaya Prauda newspaper. The district commissions were formed by the presidium of Minsk regional Council and Minsk regional election committee 3 days ago, on July 14th.

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