25.09.2008 Problem campaigning: News from the regions

News bits from the regions

25.09.2008 Andrei Tsianiuta arrested for 7 days

Chyhunachny court of Homel considered the administrative charges against youth activist Andrei Tsianiuta and sentenced him to 7 days of arrest and a fine of 700, 000 BYR (about 350 USD). This way the Young Front member was punished for holding an action on the Day of the City.

Tsianiuta unfolded the white-red-white flag during the official ceremony near the Ice Palace.

25.09.2008 Shklou: New election techniques?

At one of the polling stations of Shklou district # 90, located in Haviady village, a new voting technique was "tested" on September 25th: without members or the chairman of the commission, without police, but with the open ballot boxes.

Candidate Ryhor Kostuseu and his team members were waiting for anyone from the commission for 30 minutes: from 2.30 until 3 p.m. In half an hour, no one from the commission arrived at the scene.

No comments, as the saying goes.

25.09.2008 Minsk: Staff of the Academy of Sciences forced to vote early

Administration of the Academy of Sciences demands from its staff to vote early. Work contracts are the main method of pressure.

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.

25.09.2008 Barysau: Reporters under observation

Journalists of the international channel France 24 visited Barysau today, where they covered the campaign of Viktar Harbachou, head of the movement For Free Development of Entrepreneurship and candidate in district # 62.

The reporters visited several polling stations where they observed early voting. According to Harbachou’s, all movements of the journalists around the town were followed by the “competent” bodies.

25.09.2008 Mahiliou: Human rights defender Barys Bukhel not allowed to be present when precinct election commissions are handing the protocols of election results to the district commission

“Yesterday I made a phone call to district commission # 86, -- Barys Bukhel says. – and expressed the intention to observe the process of precinct election commissions handing the protocols of election results to the district commission”.

“I talked to commission secretary Nadzeya Mydzhyna. She told me I had no right to be present during that procedure as it was not the session of a district commission but technical work with the protocols. Ms. Mydzhyna stressed that the law does not provide for presence of observers during that procedure”, -- the human rights defender continues.

25.09.2008 Vitebsk: BRSM posters at voting booths

BRSM posters can be seen everywhere at polling stations of Vitebsk-Horkauskaya district # 17, even on the voting booths.

25.09.2008 Students who vote early get a day off

A student of Minsk Medical University told us, students who live in a student dormitory and vote early, are allowed by the administration to have a day off on Friday, so that the students from the regions can go home for the Election Day.

25.09.2008 Hrodna region: Dziatlava district election commission does not satisfy Yanina Huzouskaya’s complaint

On September 24th Dziatlava district election commission considered complaints of candidate Yanina Huzouskaya, who represent PCB and the United Democratic Forces. The first complain was about the fact that her speech broadcasted on the local TV channel, was both times interrupted by programs of Brest TV studio. The commission decided that was not a violation, since the commission had no possibilities to influence the technical aspects of broadcasting (It is interesting, however, what will the Central Election Commission say to that?)

24.09.2008 Mahiliou: Police Academy students can’t vote on Sunday

On September 24th, at polling station # 17 of Leninskaya district # 84 of Mahiliouo, it became surprisingly crowded after 6 p.m. It turned out, students of Mahiliou Police Academy came to perform their civic duty, together with their instructors.

Obviously, police students will not have any opportunity to cone to the polling stations on Sunday.

24.09.2008 Minsk: “Official” candidate Vital Busko uses administrative resource

Siarhei Yuranau, agent of Viktar Kavalchuk, candidate in Uskhodniaya district # 107 in Minsk, filed a complaint to district election commission about violation of the election legislation. Members of Kavalchuk’s initiative group report, his opponent – pro-rector of BSUER – violated seven articles of the Election Code by publication of his platform in Savetski Rayon Newsletter.

24.09.2008 Compulsion is typical for early voting

Baranavichy, Mazyr, Vitebsk

24.09.2008 Vitebsk: Up to 10% of voters voted early on the first day

At monitored polling stations from 1% (# 54 of Vitebsk-Kastrychnitskaya district # 20) to 10.14% (#19 of Vitebsk-Horkauskaya district # 17) of voters took part in early voting on the first day.

When asked what their reasons to vote early were, the majority of voters replied: you can guess. Really, observers began to receive statements from voters that they had been recommended to vote early at staff meetings at work.

24.09.2008 Vitebsk: Ideology worker reminds who is boss at polling station

On September 23rd the work of precinct commission # 34 in Vitebsk-Chkalauskaya district # 18 began with a staff meeting initiated by head of ideology department of Pershamaiski administration of Vitebsk. Mikalai Shliupakou, who used to serve as member of this commission many times, reminded the commission members about the statement of the president that they and only they are the bosses in the precinct.