Bialynichy District election commission conceals information about prior convictions of pro-government candidates

Bialynichy district newspaper “Zara nad Druttsiu" (№ 15 dated February 22, 2014) published information on the registered candidates for the Bilaynichy District Council of Deputies, but somehow forgot to print the information about their criminal records.

In particular, the newspaper omitted the information about the prior convictions of the deputy director of the JSC “Novaya Druts” Uladzimir Kanavalau, sales assistant at the shop “Karavai” Hanna Arakhouskaya anda forester of the Tsiakhtsinskaye forestry, Anatol Tsikhanovich.

At the same time, the official document at the website of the Bialynichy District Executive Committee, published in the column “Elections-2014” (http://belynichi.gov.by/vibori-2014/) mentions the criminal records.

According to unofficial information, the publication of such "truncated" data was orderred by Chairman of the Bialynichy District Election Commission Iryna Fursava, who also heads the department of ideology, culture and youth affairs of the Bialynichy District Executive Committee.

Bialynichy journalist Barys Vyrvich tried to find out at the district election commission why the
commission concealed the information on the candidates' convictions in violation of the law, but hasn't received a definite answer.

"Honestly, I do not really watch the election campaign for the local councils in the Mahiliou region, because I known almost exactly who will be MPs,” said Barys Vyrvich, especially after the independent candidates were denied registration. However, on March 1 residents of the agrosettlement of Tsiakhtsin phoned me and asked why the data of the candidates for the district council, published in the district newspaper “Zara nad Druttsiu”, contained no information about the criminal record of candidate at Tsiakhtsin electoral constituency No. 34 Uladzimir Kanavalau. I decided to discriminate in this issue and found that “Zara nad Druttsiu”, in violation of the Belarusian laws, really hadn't published the information about the prior convictions of several candidates. I also learned that this information is indicated in the data published at the website of the district executive committee, which means that the candidates didn't hide it.

According to Barys Vyrvich, he immediately tried to find out why the Bialynichy district election commission violated the law.

"I immediately called to the district election commission, and a commission member Aksana Ivanova (an employee of the Bialynichy District Executive Committee) talked to me. When I asked her if she knew that when placing information about candidates in the newspaper "Zara nad Druttsiu" the electoral legislation was violated as the criminal records of the candidates weren't mentioned, she said that she knew that it was a violation. Being asked why it happened, she answered: " I do not know what to answer. You'd better as Chairperson of the commission, Fursava Iryna. She will be at office on Monday." Mrs. Ivanova also said that she recorded my appeal and would pass my questions to the leadership of the election commission. I decided not to torment Aksana Ivanova any more since she was very confused. I will seek an explanation from the Chairperson of the commission.

You know, I'm very annoyed that the local authorities themselves violate election laws and at the same time publish some incomprehensible warnings signed by the chief of the Bialynichy District Police Department, colonel Siamanau, in the section "Elections 2014" at their website. I would advise Mr. Simanau not to intimidate law-obedient citizens with liability for “mass riots”, but rather pay attention to the unlawful actions of the Bialynichy District Election Commission.”

Let us remind that the Bialynichy district commission for the elections to the Bialynichy District Council didn't register any out of the three democratic contenders for candidates, citing inaccuracies in the people's signatures in their support as the reason.

The same day, the constituency election commissions of the Bialynichy election constituency No. 1 and the Kruhliany election constituency No. 27 for the elections to the Mahiliou Regional Council of the 27 Convocation refused to registered as candidates the activists of the public initiative “Tell the Truth” Aleh Miatselitsa and Piatro Shymbaliou for analogical reasons.

"Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections"