Central election commission sinks in complaints
The number of complaints of the opposition at violations of laws during the election campaign had increased to 135. Observers, former MP candidates and their proxies inform the prosecutor’s office and the Central Election Commission about facts of rigging the voting results.
Anatol Bukas, journalist and editor-in-chief of public and political Barysauskiya Naviny weekly, said he had sent his complaints to the Prosecutor’s General Office and the Central Election Commission.
The former candidate told in an interview to RFE/RL about violations in Barysau city constituency #62:
‘It’s remarkable that ballots with votes for opponents of Viktar Huminski (who was an acting deputy of the House of Representatives) were put in a pile of ballots with votes for him. We filed a formal notice of this violation, and took away 30 ballots with votes for Viktar Harbachou (a candidate of the United Democratic Forces), 16 – for me, 5 invalid ballots, and 6 with all selections marked from the pile of votes for Huminski.
Anatol Bukas said the CEC and the Prosecutor General should go by the acting laws:
‘There is article 191 of the Criminal Code, which provided for punishment up to 5 years for rigging voting results’.
Ivan Sheha, member of the Belarusian Popular Party, who ran in Slonim constituency #58, wrote 9 complaints at violations during registration of candidates, early voting and voting on the main Election Day:
‘Main violations were observed during voting on the ‘election’ day. Observers couldn’t receive any information. Two of them were rudely expelled and dishonored. At the polling station where Ivan Bedka was an observer, who was later dismissed, he was pointed a corner 20 meters away from the table and said: Stay out here!’ But he saw that they shook out ballots from all boxes and mixed them. Ballots weren’t counted. Ballots from early voting weren’t counted separately. Total outrage reigned there. I described this in my complaint.’
Hrodna dweller Vadzim Saranchukou ran in Hrodna-Zanyomanskaya constituency #49. He writes complaints, but refuses to send them to the Central election Commission:
‘My experience shows that complaints to the CEC or to a prosecutor’s office are unable to change the situation. Hat is why we will appeal against ten ‘elections’ results in Hrodna prosecutor’s office: it is close and probably more effective. Observers at every polling station wrote formal notices of violations, their number is more than 100.’
District election commissions close beforehand to prevent a storm of complaints.
It has been cleared out today that district election commission in Mahiliou oblast retire themselves from responsibility before term. Why? ‘To prevent a storm of complaints’, Eduard Brokarau, observer in Horki constituency #81 said:
Andrei Yurkou (MP candidate in Horki constituency #81) and I visited commission chairwoman Prylutskaya. She said: ‘Guys, I don’t know anything, nothing remained at me.’ We addressed secretary of the commission Yakubouskaya. She said she had passed all documents to Karotkina.
Karotkina is the head of the Horki district executive committee, the so called ‘alpha dog’. She is an official, who is a common member of the commission, but governs the commission in real fact.’
