The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 24 Apr 2010

24.04.2010 Salihorsk: ‘Kidnapping’ vs. ‘Young Front’ candidate

Candidate Aliaksei Valabuyeu has become a real headache for the local ideologists. Having finished with the promotion campaign of his rival, colonel Zainchkouski, the local media proceeded to indirect criticism aimed at Valabuyeu.

24.04.2010 Salihorsk: colonel is not afraid of punishment for law violations

In the morning, posters of a pro-governmental candidate, colonel Valery Zainchkouski, were posted on all houses of constituency #13. His rival, oppositional candidate Aliaksei Valabuyeu, considers it as a reaction to the wide agitation campaign conducted by members of his electoral team.

24.04.2010 Minsk: candidate Ales Lahvinets demands to cancel elections at Sukharauskaya constituency #30

The candidate lodged complaints with the procuracy, the Minsk City Election Commission and the Central Election Commission, asking to cancel the elections at the Sukharauskaya constituency #30 because of gross and purposeful violations of the Constitution and the electoral legislation by state officials.

24.04.2010 Babruisk: Xeroxed leaflets are distributed in support of pro-governmental candidate

Aliaksandr Kazlou works at the open stock company Belshyna, the largest enterprise of Babruisk, as deputy director on ideology, and is running for the regional council of deputies at the Minskaya election constituency #10. His rival Viachaslau Sheleh, a member of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, noticed suspicious agitation leaflets being spread all over the constituency.

24.04.2010 Homel: precinct commission refuses to hang out protocols of early voting

In Homel, precinct commission #46 of the Studentskaya constituency refused to obey the demand of Kanstantsin Zhukouski, a candidate for the Homel Regional Council of Deputies, to hang out the protocol of early voting or familiarize him with it. ‘When I came to the precinct, there was no protocol there. As I found out, they hadn’t composed it at all, as a member of the commission started filling it in my presence. I called the police, but they didn’t pay any reaction to the violation. I phoned to the Central Election Commission, but there’s still no protocol, though the CEC obliged the commissions to hang out the reports for one day,’ explained Mr. Zhukouski.

24.04.2010 Horki district: headmistress forces teachers to vote for ‘worthy’ candidate

According to information of teachers of the Ausiankava secondary school, the headmistress Liudmila Bandarenka forced them to vote early at the general assembly of the school.

24.04.2010 Kirau district: candidates are running unopposed, but somebody needs large turnout

There are three such candidates in the Kirau district: Valery Babaryka is running for the Mahiliou Regional Council of Deputies at the Kirauskaya election constituency #10; Natallia Vasilieuskaya, shop manager – for the Kirau District Council at the Staupitskaya election constituency #22; and Mikhail Bautovich, Chairperson of the Liubonichy outpatient clinic – at the Siarheyevitskaya election constituency #24.

24.04.2010 Photo fact: composite ballot boxes in Baranavichy

This composite ballot box was discovered by Siarhei Housha, observer of the Belarusian Language Society, at precinct #43 in Baranavichy.

24.04.2010 Vitsebsk region: almost 50% of soldiers of military unit 52287 voted early

About half of 896 soldiers of military unit #52287, on the territory of which election precinct #62 is located, voted before the election day.

24.04.2010 Mazyr: candidate demands that police abide by electoral legislation

On 24 April Uladzimir Tseliapu, a candidate for the Homel Regional Council of Deputies, addressed Piatro Zykun, Chairperson of the Mazyr District Police Department, in connection with detention of the candidate Franak Viachorka that was witnessed by him.

24.04.2010 Vitsebsk: BCD activist issued with a warning

Alena Shabunia, a member of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party running for the Vitsebsk Regional and District Councils of Deputies, received an official warning from the appropriate territorial election commissions for holding electoral pickets with musical accompaniment.

24.04.2010 Brest authorities prevent observers from watching the poll

On 25 April, after the end of calculation of votes at precincts, only members of constituency commissions will be present at the constituency commissions, whereas all the rest will be at the appropriate district executive committees. The resulting protocols and all documents will be passed to these state organs as well. In Brest, these will be the Maskouski and the Leninski District Executive Committees.

24.04.2010 Mazyr: early voting beyond common sense

As of 23 April, 489 electors voted at precinct #40 located in the secondary school #6 in Mazyr. Earlier, proxies of Siarhei Lapusta, a candidate of the United Civil Party, kept a duty at this precinct. Some 9-10 persons usually voted there in their presence. However, on 23 April one of the candidate's proxies stayed there till late and was informed about this record number.

24.04.2010 Hrodna: each election commission is supervised by an official of Hrodna City Executive Committee

As it was learned by the civil human rights defender Raman Yurhel, each constituency and precinct election commission of Hrodna is supervised by a curator from the Hrodna City Executive Committee. Mr. Yurhel found about it when he was informed over the phone about the deprival of accreditation as an observer of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee at the Universitetskaya constituency #3 for elections to the Hrodna Regional Council of Deputies.

24.04.2010 Baranavichy: 15% of electors voted during first three days of early voting

According to information of the private newspaper Intex-press, 15% of the Baranavichy electors voted during the first three days of early voting, that's why it can't be ruled out that this time more than the usual 25% will vote by the Election Day.