Executive committees of Homel districts refuse to accept applications for inclusion of opposition activists in precinct election commissions
On 4 August Homel oppositionists who intended to
take part in the upcoming parliamentary election as members of precinct
election commissions faced a sudden obstacle: the administrations of city
districts of Homel refused to accept their applications saying they had a
day-off.
On 4 August a member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, Anatol Paplauny,
came to the Chyhunachny District Executive Committee of Homel to pass an
excerpt from the ruing of the regional branch of the party concerning the
nomination of MPF members in precinct election commissions. “The administration
refused to accept the lists of nominees to the commissions saying they had a
day-off. As I insisted, the head of the organizational and personnel department
of the executive committee Liudmila Miashkova, who is also a member of the
Sialmashauskaya constituency election commission, went out to talk tome. She
said that a personal exception would be made for me, to which I replied that
they must decide whether they had a day-off or no, and I didn't need any
“personal exceptions” from them,” said Mr. Paplauny.
The Tsentralny District Executive Committee didn't accept documents from
members of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy. “Our
people collected the necessary number of electors' signatures for their nomination
to the commissions. On 4 August they brought the necessary documents to the
Tsentralny District Executive Committee of Homel. However, their applications
weren't accepted, due to a “day-off”. In fact, I think that our documents and
applications won't be considered anyway, no matted what day they were passed,
as the authorities don't have to report why they include this or that person in
a commission,” commented Yury Klimovich, a coordinator of the BCD organizing
committee.
“Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”