The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for September 2012

18.09.2012 UCP observers face obstacles in Mahiliou

At least 30 observers representing the United Civil Party have been denied access to the polling stations in Mahiliou constituency No. 87, as the early vote stage of the election campaign started today.

18.09.2012 Ales Antsipenka: “Value of information about the elections seriously diminished”

The expert thinks that the devaluation of information for people is connected with the significant changes in the mood of the society. The majority of the Belarusians do not have positive expectations for the future (firstly, because of the traumatic experience of currency devaluation and inflation).

18.09.2012 Rejected candidate to sue election officials

Aliaksandr Solap, activist of the Tell the Truth campaign who was denied registration as a candidate on moral grounds, is going to sue the officials of the Central Election Commission and Slutsk constituency commission, the Infa-Kurier regional newspaper reports.

17.09.2012 Central Election Commission: Observation of submission of election records not allowed

The law does not provide for observers’ involvement in the submission of election records to constituency election commissions, says the Central Election Commission in its reply to observer Ales Kaputski, registered in Maladechna constituency No. 73.

17.09.2012 Vitsebsk candidate criticizes unequal campaigning conditions

Vadzim Kuzmin, retired officer and member of the Fair World left party running for Parliament in Vitsebsk constituency No. 19, says he is appalled at the obstacles he has to overcome during the election campaign.

17.09.2012 Two opposition parties withdrawing their candidates

The Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) and the United Civic Party (UCP) formally decided Wednesday to withdraw their parliamentary candidates, explaining that the election process was not transparent and democratic, and authorities were ignoring their demands to release political prisoners.

17.09.2012 Weekly report of observation results # 8

September 10-16, 2012

17.09.2012 Hrodna police detain and charge Arche editor Valery Bulhakau

Valery Bulhakau, editor-in-chief of the Arche intellectual magazine, was detained during a presentation in Hrodna on 15 September.

17.09.2012 Zhlobin opposition candidate denied premises to hold election meeting

Valery Rybchanka, candidate representing the Fair World Party in Zhlobin constituency, has not been authorized to hold a meeting with voters on the territory of the major Belarusian Steel Works.

17.09.2012 Brest opposition candidate proves unworthiness of authorized campaigning locations

Ihar Maslouski, member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) running for Parliament in Brest constituency No. 2, says the authorized election campaigning locations cannot be used for meeting with voters.

17.09.2012 BPF’s campaign fliers rejected by over 15 printing firms

Some 15 state-owned printing firms, as well as a number of private ones, have refused to print campaign leaflets of candidates representing the Belarusian Popular Front Party, the BPF’s press-service reports.

14.09.2012 Ales Bialiatski seeks meeting with priest

The imprisoned Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski is still deprived of a possibility to have a meeting with a Roman Catholic priest, says Babruisk civil activist Siarhei Latsinski, quoting a letter received from the human rights defender.

14.09.2012 Mahiliou opposition candidate receives warning

Leanid Padbiaretski, member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) and activist of the Tell the Truth campaign running for Parliament in Mahiliou constituency No. 84, has received an official warning for allegedly staging a picket in an unauthorized place.

14.09.2012 State-owned TV and radio reject 33 speeches by UCP candidates

33 out of 68 election addresses by parliamentary candidates representing the United Civil Party of Belarus have been taken of air on state-owned TV and radio channels, says the UCP spokesperson Mrs. Hanna Krasulina.

14.09.2012 Hrodna candidate Ales Straltsou warned

Ales Straltsou, member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party running for Parliament in Hrodna constituency No. 52, has received an official warning for allegedly producing an election poster having no output data.