Vitsebsk oblast: 12 representatives of opposition parties included in precinct commissions

According to information of the Vitsebsk oblast executive committee, 923 precinct commissions comprising 11,287 persons were formed in the oblast. 375 (3.3%) of them are state officers, 1,430 (12.7%) are younger than 30 and 7,646 (67.7%) are women. There are no citizens of the Russian Federation among members of the commissions.

2,908 (25.7%) of the commission members were nominated by working collectives, 3,947 (35%) - through collection of electors’ signatures and 4,432 (39.3%) – by civil associations (including 124 (1.1%) by political parties).

Out of these 124 persons:
2 (0.02%) were nominated by the Belarusian Agrarian Party,
10 (0.09%) – by the Belarusian Party of Leftists Fair World,
1 (0.01%) – by the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada,
98 (0.9%) – by the Communist Party of Belarus,
12 (0.1%) – by the Republican Party of Labor and Justice,
1 (0.01%) – by the United Civil Party.

Judging by these data, the representation of political parties in precinct election commissions is virtual. At the same time, pro-governmental civil associations have a wide representation in the precinct commissions of the Vitsebsk oblast 4,308 (38.2%):

403 (3.6%) represent Belarys Rus,
644 (5.7%) – the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM),
502 (4.5%) – the Belarusian Union of Women,
500 (4.4%) – the Belarusian Civil Association of Veterans,
1,832 (16.2%) – the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus,
227 (2%) – the Belarusian association of Red Cross,
87 (0.8%) – the Belarusian Peace Foundation,
33 (0.3%) – the Belarusian Union of Veterans of the war in Afghanistan),
12 (0.1%) – other civil associations.

Democratic civil associations have just 9 representatives at the commissions:
1 (0.01%) – the Vitsebsk civil association Self-government and Society,
8 (0.007%) – the civil association of large families of the Verkhniadzvinsk district Family.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections