Minsk: candidate Ales Lahvinets demands to cancel elections at Sukharauskaya constituency #30
The candidate lodged complaints with the procuracy, the Minsk City Election Commission and the Central Election Commission, asking to cancel the elections at the Sukharauskaya constituency #30 because of gross and purposeful violations of the Constitution and the electoral legislation by state officials.
In particular, Mr. Lahvinets states that a considerable number of electors weren’t introduced in the register of electors, which is a violation of Article 15 of the Electoral Code. The candidate argues that there are 17,127 apartments in his constituency, whereas the official number of registered electors is 20,401. ‘This number of electors contradicts to any common sense. With such number of apartments the real number of electors must be about 34,000’, he says.
Ales Lahvinets also points at the failure of the authorities to abide by the requirements of decisions of the Minsk City Executive Committee concerning agitation materials:
’The Frunzenski District Executive Committee and the Frunzenski District Election Commission didn’t implement point 3 of Ruling #475 of the Minsk City Executive Committee of 25 February 2010, and Zhaholkina Z.U., Chairperson of the Frunzenski District Election Commission, refused to provide me with the list of the places that were determined for posting agitation materials of candidates for the Minsk City Council of Deputies of the 26th Convocation and gave only the list of the places where the informational stands were installed with the concurrence of the executive committee.’
The official also refused to inform the candidate about the number of citizens in the lists of electors at each of 11 precincts of the constituency in the Sukharauskaya constituency, which is a violation of Articles 34 and 74 of the Electoral Code.
Moreover, the candidate draws some strange facts. In particular: ‘During the first day of voting, the attendance at the precincts where there were no observers was several times higher than at those where observers were present. I and my proxies weren’t let to familiarize with lists of electors and verify the signatures of those who received ballot papers at the precincts where there were no observers.’
Besides, the candidate registered facts of abuse of the official powers by the people who head the precinct commissions of the Sukharauskaya constituency #30. He states that the following address of the pedagogical collective of gymnasium #33 was hanged out on 20 April at the entrance of gymnasium #33 and school #212 where precincts #17-21 are located:
’Dear parents! The pedagogical collective of gymnasium #33 asks You to take an active part in the early voting (on 20.04, 21.04, 22.04, 23.04, 24.04) at 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 4 – 7 p.m. We hope for cooperation and thank You for understanding.’
Ales Lahvinets points that A.Yakubouskaya, headmistress of gymnasium #33, and H.Andrushchanka, headmaster of school #212, are heads of precinct commissions #19 and #20 respectively. That’s why he considers the aforementioned address as a form of pressurization of electors, abuse of official powers and interference with the electoral process.
Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections
