Brest: who can attend sittings on formation of election commissions?

The resident of Brest Ryhor Varvashevich filed with the Brest City Executive Committee a complaint against the Chairperson of the Leninski District Executive Committee of Brest who refused to admit him to the sitting where the formation of the precinct election commissions took place.

According to Mr. Varvashevich, on 25 October he submitted to the executive committee an appropriate application that was accepted by its main specialist Tatsiana Ramaniuk.

However, on 2 November, the day before the sitting, Ryhor Varvashevich recived a letter from the first Deputy Chairperson of the executive committee Liudmila Zmachynskaya alleging that his presence at the sitting would be unlawful because according to Article 34 of the Electoral Code such sittings could only be attended by representatives of the political parties, public associations, collectives of workers and the citizens who had nominated their representatives to the election commissions.

Mr. Varvashevich disagrees with such explanation and considers this refusal as a violation of his rights as an elector, because according to part 1 of Article 13 of the Electoral Code the preparation of elections must be conducted openly and transparently. ‘From this provision one can conclude that any elector has the right to attend the sittings of the state organs connected with the preparation and holding of elections,’ emphasizes Ryhor Varvashevich in his complaint.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections