Maladechna: composition of precinct commissions remains unknown and time for appealing is running out
The Belarusian Popular
Front Party, the United Civil Party and the NGO BPF Adradzhenne nominated nine representatives to the precinct election
commissions of Maladechna. Though representatives of these parties attended the
sitting of the Maladechna District Executive Committee where the PECs were
formed, they don’t know whether any of these nominees were included.
The candidacies for the precinct commissions weren’t discussed. Participants of
the sitting asked only such questions as ‘How many males?’, ‘How many females
and youth?’, ‘Are there sick people among them?’ and then voted for the lists
of members of all commissions.
Representatives of the opposition asked to show them these lists. The officials
promised to do it after the sitting, but didn’t keep their promise even the
following day.
The human rights defender Aliaksei Khvostsik submitted a request to the
Chairperson of the Maladechna DEC Damatsenka to be familiarized with the lists,
but the latter wrote in the answer ‘You should specify the aim of receiving the
lists’. The human rights defender wrote that the aim was the possible appeal
against the results of formation of the PECs
according to Article 34 of the Electoral Code, to which the official responded ‘The
case must be solved in conformity with the law’.
His subordinates probably didn’t understand what it meant and promised to give
an answer in three days, according to the usual practice of the DEC. Mr. Khvostsik
explained them that this case should be regulated by the Electoral Code, not by
the DEC practice, but the lists of members of the precinct commissions weren’t
issued to him.
If he receives an answer from the executive committee in three days, he won’t
manage to appeal against the results of the formation of the precinct
commissions, as the legal term for it is three days since the adoption of the
appropriate decision. That’s why the Maladechna human rights defenders have
already prepared a lawsuit with the demand to abolish the decision of the
executive committee concerning the formation of the precinct commissions and
include in them the opposition’s nominees.
Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections
