Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada won’t nominate candidates in Hrodna

The Hrodna organization of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada refused to nominate candidates to the Hrodna oblast Soviet of Deputies because of non-inclusion of BSDH in the precinct commissions of the Kupalauskaya election constituency #4. Earlier, they intended to nominate Viktar Parfionenka as a candidate at this constituency.

Uladzimir Khilmanovich, member of the BSDH Central Council, commented: ‘The Hrodna organization of the BSDH Party didn’t plan a wide election campaign not to waste its forces. We intended to work seriously at one constituency and win the elections there. We nominated four representatives to the precinct election commission of the Kupalauskaya election constituency. Two more BSDH members were nominated to the precinct commissions by collection of signatures. However, none of them were included in the commissions by the Hrodna Kastrychnitski district executive committee. There’s no sense in the nomination of candidates in this case, because it is absolutely impossible to control the calculation of votes. We aren’t going to play by the rules according to which the authorities are stepping on us. After the formation of the precinct election commissions it became absolutely clear that there are no transparent and democratic elections in the Hrodna oblast.’

Viktar Parfionenka shares the opinion of his colleague: ‘There’s no sense to be nominated as a candidate in such unfair circumstances. What can we speak of if the administration doesn’t include in the precinct commissions experienced people with a higher education, who possess an authority in the city and probably are better informed about the election legislation and local self-government than the overwhelming majority of the present executive committees and soviets of deputies. The discrimination of representatives of democratic parties is evident.’

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections