The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 18 Aug 2008

18.08.2008 Maladechna: only members of pro-governmental NGOs were selected to precinct election commissions

By the decision of Maladechna and Valozhyn rayon executive committees, only representatives of the pro-governmental NGOs and political parties were included in precinct election commissions in Maladechna city district # 70 and rural district # 71.The total number of members of such organizations as the CPB party, Belarusian Union of Women, veterans' organizations, BRSM, and Belaya Rus is 72 people.

18.08.2008 Polatsak: Main principle of forming precinct election commissions is dependence

The principles of creation precinct election commissions did not change in Polatsak – just as it happened during the previous election, members of one work collective often become the core of a precinct commission. The person who the rest of commission members depend on is often chosen commission chairperson. Let take precinct election commission # 1 as an example.

18.08.2008 Mahiliou: UDF contender received seven letters from financial investigation department of the Committee for State Control

Yury Novikau has received seven registered letters from the financial investigation department of the Committee for State Control. The letters contain summons to come to the financial investigation department and forms he and his family have to fill in.

18.08.2008 Zhlobin: Refuse from collected signatures!

Member of Valery Rybchanska’s initiative group was forced to refuse from the signatures he had collected. His employer insisted he did that in written form.

18.08.2008 Navahradak: Сontender has problems with signature registration

Yury Istomin, contender in Navahradak election district, was detained in the afternoon together with several members of his initiative group. Istomin, head of the regional UCP organization, continued to collect signatures in Navahradak. The police considered their actions "early agitation". This way the police did not only hinder the signature collection, but also deprived Yury Istomin of the opportunity to get the local authorities to confirm the signatures.

18.08.2008 Rechytsa: tax inspectorate summons UDF candidate’s employer

On Friday, August 15th, manager of private company “Alida & Co.” A. Shabetnik was summoned by the tax inspectorate. He was asked if V. Putsitski, who is a candidate on the UDF list, really worked for the company. A person in civil clothes was present during the conversation.

18.08.2008 Babruisk: Adverse publicity for UDF candidate Aliaksandar Chyhir

The trial over UDF candidate Ales Chyhir was used by the official newspaper Babruiskaye Zhytstsio for the article “Bearded Poltergeist”. The author who hid under the pseudonym Al. Palindrom, used the attributes that insult the candidate. For example, he called Chyhir “our anti-hero”. Besides that, the portrait of Chyhir is pictured with emotionally negative colors. The author hid all of the characters of his “work” behind initials for “ethical reasons”, and revealed only Chyhir’s full name.