Anatol Paulau: ‘There’s no sense in election struggle already…’

The United Democratic Party nominated more than 120 representatives to precinct election commissions, but only 10 of them were included in the commissions. Such results make the party to think about the senselessness of further participation in the local elections.

’A very small number of democratic candidates are included in election commissions’, said Anatol Paulau, Chairperson of the Minsk city organization of the United Civil Party. ‘The question is whether there’s any sense to participate in such elections. As far as the people weren’t included in the precinct commissions, there’s no sense for the candidates to struggle for the votes, as it will just help to legitimize the authorities once again.’

Mr. Paplauny also added that though such moods are getting stronger and even begin to prevail in certain regions, none of the candidates of the party will be forcedly revoked. Preparatory work with the electorate is conducted during the collection of their signatures in support of the candidacies. Agitation activities will be also conducted after the registration of candidates.

’If precinct commissions really had a sufficient representation in the precinct commissions and at least 20% of the latter ones could be covered, it would be expedient to extrapolate the results of the work on the whole electoral process. Naturally, the authorities don’t want to admit this variant,’ pointed Anatol Paulau. ‘Our country has a paradoxical system – election commissions are formed by the executive authorities, not the Central Election Commission that must work professionally in this sphere and create its own vertical from members of parties, civil bodies and working collectives.

There are no distinct criteria by which people are chosen to the commissions. The included people are often the most innocuous ones and don’t have a political grip, not the ones that have a real experience of electoral work.

For instance, during the formation of precinct commissions two 25-year-old social democrats weren’t included, allegedly because of insufficient experience. At the same tie, the authorities included in the commission some representatives of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union who are much younger. It can’t end well. These elections will be without choice, as usual,’ stated Anatol Paulau.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections