Local Election: New Facts of Non-registering and Warnings to Opposition’s Candidates
According to www.pbnf.org and RFE/RL
On 14 December the chair of Vitsebsk regional election commission invited one of the candidates for deputy position Uladzislau Tokarau, chair of Vitsebsk city branch of the Belarusian People’s Front to a sitting concerning registration. There he informed Mr Tokarau that a number of people who had signed in his support later revoked their signatures.
Uladzislau Tokarau demanded to show to him the refusal statements signed by these citizens, but the commission refused, stating they didn’t have to do it.
On 13 December Malaryta district commission on election to local deputy soviets of 25th convocation refused to register as a candidate a deputy of Malaryta distict deputy soviet, human rights activist Uladzimir Malei, because some of the persons who had signed in his support allegedly revoked there signatures.
Two circuit election commissions of Homel warned two registered candidates who are members of the United Civil Party.
The chair of Homel regional UCP branch, candidate to Homel regional deputy soviet Vasil Paliakou was warned by the commission of election circuit #13 for distribution of fly-sheets ‘Will there be any election?’. This fly-sheet contains analysis of the previous election campaigns and among other facts informs the electorate about a great difference between official number of the people who have voted and the number that is given by independent observers.
Another UCP member, candidate to Hrodna regional deputy soviet Aliaksandr Protska was warned by the commission of election circuit #15, headed by the deputy chair of Homel district executive committee Mikalai Maly. The candidate was warned for distribution of newspapers Narodnaia volia and Tovarishch while collecting signatures for registration.
Brest city election commission conceals the results of candidate registration. The activists of oppositional parties who have been nominated as candidates to Brest city deputy soviet complain about the impossibility to find about the results of registration.
It is almost impossible to get the commission members on the phone. When some of the candidates managed to do it, they were told the results of the registration would be known in the evening. We should remind that 14 December is the last day when election commissions can announce about registration of candidates to local deputy soviets.
There are 98 applications for registration, Brest city deputy soviets has 40 seats. 9 applicants represent the BPF Party, 16 – the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), five – the United Civil Party. Seven applications were filed by members of the Party of Communists of Belarus that later decided to boycott the election.
