27.09.2008 Pre-election campaigning. Monitoring: results and conclusions

Human rights defenders traced carrying out of a stage of pre-election campaign within the limits of long-term monitoring of elections.

27.09.2008 Sianno: Group leader votes for milkers and cattle-breeders

“One for all” method was used in district # 30 (Liozna, Sianno, Talachyn rayons). In Sianno rayon, Khodtsy village, group leader Faina Ananenka decided not to break the work process of milkers and cattle-breeders. She came to polling station # 36 alone. Ananenka signed for and received ballot papers for all her subordinates. She ticked off the name of the “right” candidate and put the ballot papers in the ballot box with clear conscience. She received the ballot papers for the whole of her team from commission members – teachers of the local school.

27.09.2008 It’s already September 28th in Baranavichy

Observers report, today, September 27th, the following ad can be hear in the city bus # 14: “Today, on September 28th, there are elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly. You can vote from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.” Observers can’t but guess: if it was the driver’s mistake or the authorities deliberately create an illusion that today is the last day when people can vote.

27.09.2008 Hlybokaye: False campaigners to create nice picture

Local authorities of Hlybokaye organized a provocation against BPF candidate Yaraslau Bernikovich. Probably, they knew they could not rely only on the administrative resource.

In the afternoon of September 26th a group of drunken men looking homeless were hanging around Hlybokaye. They spread the leaflets in support of Yaraslau Bernikovich. According to Yaraslau, probably the provocation is connected to the fact that a Swedish TV crew arrived that day in town to cover the election campaign. However, Bernikovich does not exclude that the picture with false campaigners was prepared for the Belarusian TV which would later “show the real face of an oppositionist” to the Belarusian citizens.

27.09.2008 Barysau: Participation in election is not right but obligation

There are leaflets on the doors of apartment buildings in Trusava Street (precinct # 20 of Barysau city district # 62) saying that, “under the Election Code of the Republic of Belarus, participation in the election is the OBLIGATION of every citizen of the Republic of Belarus of 18 years and above”.

27.09.2008 Vitebsk: Struggle of complaints. PCB candidate warned

Vitebsk-Kastrychnitskaya district commission held a session on September 26th .

The commission considered two complaints about violation of the election law during the campaign. One complaint was filed by candidate Alexander Lasiakin, director of Vitebsk State Technological College. He complained against his opponent, PCB member Alexander Vinahradau. Lasiakin reported, Vinahradau spread campaign leaflets produced outside the country. The commission established the fact that the leaflets had been printed long before the beginning of the election campaign. They had nothing in common with election campaigning. However, the commission decided to give a warning to Vinahradau.

27.09.2008 Vitebsk: Voters cannot find out the number of people who voted early

Early voting will end on September 27th, at 7 p.m. District commissions work until 2 p.m. today. This way, observers in district commission will be deprived of the opportunity to receive information about the number of voters who have voted early.

27.09.2008 Voting in Miory: one for all

At a number of polling stations in Miory district # 24, voters are not required to present their passports. Some are proposed to vote instead of their family members.

27.09.2008 Maladechna: “Tick off” in required place

For many years Maladechna polling stations practice such a hidden form of agitation as an example of how a ballot paper should be filled out. However, the number of candidates in the example is always the same as the number of candidates in the district. The tick stands near the number where the last name of the official candidate should be. Every election that practice gives ground for conflicts between the observers and precinct election commissions. Observers write reports and complaints, but with every new election the situation repeats.

27.09.2008 Vitebsk: Early voting is “civic duty”

There is an anonymous ad hanging on the board of the teachers’ room in gymnasia # 8 in Vitebsk (Vitebsk-Chkalauskaya district # 18): “Fulfil your civic duty – vote early”.

27.09.2008 Vileika: Uncontested election does not encourage people to vote

The fact that the election in Vileika district is uncontested, with one official candidate running, leads to negative consequences for the voting process and the turn-out. Observers report, many people, when they see only one name in their ballot papers, do not even go inside the polling booths. They simply throw the ballot papers out, often tearing them apart in a pointed manner. There is only one candidate running in Vileika district # 61 which includes Vileika and Miadzel rayons. This is the pro-governmental candidate I. A. Spilchanka, head physician of Vileika hospital. Other contenders were pressed out of the race on the previous stages of the campaign, including head of Minsk regional BPF organization, Miadzel resident Dzmitry Vinahradau.

27.09.2008 Smarhon: No transparency

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?

27.09.2008 18.8% of voters voted early during four days

18.8% of all voters voted early from September 23rd to 26th, BELTA reports. The reporter was given the number by Mikalai Lazavik, secretary of the Central Election Commission.

Today is the last day of the early voting. The main Election Day of this parliamentary election is September 28th.

27.09.2008 Zhlobin: Plant administration makes sure even workers on maternity leave vote early

Workshop foremen of Belarusian Metallurgic Plant in Zhlobin received a letter signed by Aliaksei Kastsiuk, deputy head of the plant’s automation department. The letter suggests they should force the subordinates to vote early, and to “inform" the staff who they should vote for.

27.09.2008 Zhanna Litvina: A Laureate of Ebert Foundation on Human Rights Award

As it has become known recently, Ms. Zhanna Litvina, Chairperson of Belarusian Association of Journalists will receive Ebert Foundation on Human Rights Award in 2008.

"Freedom of speech in an inseparable part if civil liberties and human rights. In case of its absence all other human rights appear unde­r threat. Therefore the main objective of BAJ is to do everything possible in order to defend freedom of speech. The awarding proves true that out efforts have certain effect", Zhanna Litvina noted in her interview to the BAJ Press Service.