Amendments to the Electoral legislation condemned by 12 political parties and movements
The leader of the civil
campaign "Tell the Truth" Uladzimir Niakliayeu believes
that the amendments to the electoral laws do not allow to make the
elections free, fair or transparent.
According to him, the
biggest drawback is that it is still impossible to prevent abuse
during the counting of votes:
“For all years, the
opposition's demands were aimed at ensuring that a representative of
the party or movement which nominated a candidate was included in the
election commission and that this representative could take part in
the counting of the votes. However, we didn't manage to get this for
almost twenty years.”
Uladzimir Niakliayeu also considers as
unacceptable in the light of the Constitution the prohibition to call
for the election boycott, as well as the fact that the candidates
must raise the money for their campaign on their own.
An
appeal with the critique of the amendments to the electoral law,
adopted in the first reading by the House of Representatives, was
signed by 12 democratic opposition parties, movements and
organizations.
As stated by the leader of the Belarusian
Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Iryna Veshtard, the proposed
changes are either cosmetic or further alienate Belarus from the
standards of free, fair and transparent elections:
“The
means for the preparation of campaign materials was taken away. It is
necessary to add that they will strive to eliminate the agitation for
a boycott, and a man needs to have such a right always. I cannot see
anything in these amendments which could show a progress towards
democracy,” said Iryna Veshtard.
The signatories of the
statement demand that the authorities guarantee them a procedure of
vote count which would be transparent and open for the election
observers, give the parties and candidates the right to have their
representatives in the election commissions and also refuse from mass
herding of electors to early voting, which creates conditions for
election frauds.
