The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 4 Aug 2008

04.08.2008 Staryia Darohi district: executive committee establishes working group for assistance to electoral commissions

On 24 July Naviny Staradarozhchyny, the newspaper of Staryia Darohi district executive committee, published an article ‘For assistance to polling station electoral commissions’.

04.08.2008 Slutsk: members of Anatol Yurevich’s initiative group are pressurized and face obstacles

According to the information of Vital Amialkovich, an observer at Slutsk electoral district #74, the members of the initiative group of the member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada Anatol Yurevich were not in the hostel of Slutsk meat combine and Slutsh college of reclamation industry where they intended to collect signatures for Yurevich’s nomination as a candidate to the Chamber of Representatives. The formal reason for the refusals was that the internal regulations allegedly prohibited the presence of unauthorized persons there.

04.08.2008 Vitsebsk: early agitation in the form of ‘report to the electors’

Siarhei Siamashka, a now deputy of the Chamber of Representatives, has got registered at Vitsebsk Chyhunachny electoral district #19 an initiative group for his nomination to candidates to the next convocation of Chamber of Representatives.

04.08.2008 Polatsk: ‘We were promised we would be able to collect signatures in our working time…’

A member of the initiative group of Piatro Yuzhyk (deputy head of Vitsebsk oblast executive committee) revealed in a private talk the way the initiative group had been created.

04.08.2008 Minsk: people are forced to sign in support of pro-governmental candidate at work

The workers of the Integral enterprise are made to come to work with their passports and sign in support for the candidacy of the director general, Mr. Kazlou.

04.08.2008 Vitsebsk: commission #21 does not know number and borders of polling sectors

Vitsebsk village electoral district #21 includes Vitsebsk, Haradok and Shumilina districts and a part of the city of Vitsebsk (the settlement of Ruba in Chyhunachny administrative district of Vitsebsk).

04.08.2008 Vitsebsk: occupation and party affiliation of future candidates are concealed

Maryna Zdolnikava, secretary of the electoral commission of Vitsebsk village electoral district #21, refused to inform journalist Valery Shchukin about the occupation and party affiliation of the pretenders to candidates, whose initiative groups had been registered by the commission. She only told him their names and surnames. Zdolnikava explained her refusal to give more information by saying that the requested information was not allowed for publication in mass media.

04.08.2008 Mahiliou: state newspaper boosts pro-governmental candidate

The state newspaper Mahiliouskaya Prauda, #65-66 for 1 August 2008 features an interview with Uladzimir Vasilenka, head of Mahiliou oblast organization of the Belarusian union of veterans of the war in Afghanistan, under the title ‘Go yourself, help the others and you’ll be given!’ It’s worth mentioning that Vasilenka has already registered his initiative group at district electoral commission #84. By the way, one of the members of commission #83, Anatol Pyntsikau, is a member of the organization, headed by Vasilenka.

04.08.2008 Brest oblast: all initiative groups registered

Brest oblast is the only of the seven administrative regions of Belarus where all initiative groups on nomination of candidates to the elections were registered. 16 district electoral commissions registered 49 initiative groups. 34 of these groups will collect signatures in support of non-partisans, 15 – for members of parties (14 of them – for candidates from the united democratic forces: 5 – for the Belarusian Popular Front Party, 4 – for the Party of Communists Belarusian, 3 – for the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) and 2 – for the United Civil Party).

04.08.2008 Orsha entrepreneurs protest

About 400 persons gathered near the building of the city executive committee in Orsha before arrival of high officials from Minsk.

04.08.2008 Asipovichy: Artsiom Dubski gets arrested

Artsiom Dubski, one of the Young Front leaders, was arrested in Asipovichy and guarded to the police department handcuffed.

04.08.2008 UCP members are interrogated in ‘Minsk blast’ case

Zmitser Slutski, head of Hrodna city organization of the United Civil Party, and leader of Hrodna organization of Young Democrats Alexandra Vasilevich, were called to the KGB directorate for Hrodna region.

04.08.2008 Brest: Prosecutor’s office confirms, the call with threats came from the MP’s office

Mekh received a response from the prosecutor’s office where he had complained about phone calls with threats and insults. The phone number which remained on his Mekh’s cell phone belonged to the office of MP Viktar Kuchynski. The prosecutor’s office confirmed the phone call had been made from Kuchynski’s office but failed to establish that he had threatened Mekh.