Pavel Levinau: Chair of Vitsebsk City Election Commission should resign”

Vitsebsk human rights defender conducted his own investigation about the personality of Chairperson of the Vitsebsk City Election Commission, who was directly involved in the deception of voters. As it turned out, Valiantsina Kazakouskaya was twice brought to administrative responsibility, including for the illegal use of funds.

"I am convinced that such people can not be trusted in the election vote count! The authorities keep saying that only experienced people with a good reputation were included in the commissions, and the heads of the commissions even have high organizational skills. But, in 2012 Mrs. Kazakouskaya, director of the cultural and business center "Pershamaiski", was brought to administrative liability for violation of fire safety, and in 2013 – for misuse of budget or non-budget funds on administrative position. I found this information in the Unified State databank of wrongdoing," said Pavel Levinau.

The human rights activist said that he talked with members of the commission, and they are not even aware that they are headed by a person with administrative penalties. On the basis of the publicly available documents found by the human rights activist, he states that it shouldbe a matter of honor for Valiantsina Kazakouskaya to refuse from the position of the commission chairperson. Mr. Levinau even has sent her a letter where he draws the discovered facts and asks to be informed about her decision.

The human rights defender paid interest to the past of Valiantsina Kazakouskaya for several reasons. First, he was not included in the Vitsebsk City Election Commission and his candidacy wasn't event announced during the meeting at which the commission was formed. Secondly, Kazakovskaya was a direct participant of the "verification" of signatures for nomination of some candidates. She came to the voters, asked whether they really put signatures on the signature sheets and then asked to sign some paper. She told the people that they signed for the authenticity of their testimonies. However, in fact it was a standard statement that voters report alleged violations of election law – in particular, that they didn't put the date on the signature sheets on their own.

Such cases of fraud affected the voters who signed in support of the opposition activists Tatsiana Seviarynets, Alena Shabunia, Khrystafor Zhaliapau and Aliaksei Haurutsikau. The commission doubted the validity of a part of the signatures in their suport, and then refused to register their candidacies. Aliaksei Haurutsikau and Khrystafor Zhaliapau presented to the court the explanations of the people, whose signatures had been declared invalid. Some of them came to the court to tell how they had been cheated. However, neither the judge nor the prosecutor found the registration denial unlawful.

"Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections"