The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for August 2008

11.08.2008 Babruisk: Ales Chyhir and his initiative group summonsed to military enlistment office

The resident of Babruisk Ales Chyhir who intends to run for parliament, has received a writ from the local military enlistment office. There it is written that he is summonsed to the office for ‘amendment of the documents’. Similar writs were received by two members of Chyhir’s initiative group. All writs are for Tuesday.

11.08.2008 Party of Communists Belarusian to sue Lukashenka for discrediting

At its assembly this Sunday the PCB ruled to sue Alexander Lukashenka, who in connection with the blast on 4 July stated that ‘Kaliakin’s communists profess fascist ideology’.

11.08.2008 Shchuchyn: state paper tells who is worth to be elected

In Shchuchyn an agitation article ‘Only worthy people must be in the parliament’ was published in the 5 August issue of the district newspaper Dziannitsa.

11.08.2008 Minsk: pressurization of nominees to electoral commissions

As said by members of the initiative group of a member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Viktar Ivashkevich, in the morning of 7 August the BPF filed the list of nominees to the local electoral commissions of Minsk Kastrychnitski electoral district #97. In the evening two of the nominees received telephone calls. They were asked whether they still wanted to be members of the initiative group and then were invited to the local administration without any explanations.

11.08.2008 Barysau: early agitation in state newspaper

A member of the United Civil Party Viktar Harbachou has addressed the Ministry of Information, the central electoral commission and Barysau district electoral commission #62 with a complaint about the lawless activities of the editorial office of the Yedinstvo newspaper, founded by Barysau district executive committee. The matter is that the newspaper has already published a number of articles with calls to vote for the MP Viktar Huminski again. Harbachou considers it as early agitation violating the electoral laws.

11.08.2008 Minsk: action of solidarity with Georgia

On 10 August a rally of solidarity with the Georgian took place in Minsk near the Georgian Embassy.

08.08.2008 Harry Pahaniaila: entrance interviews violate matriculates’ rights

On 7 August the education minister Uladzimir Radzkou and the first deputy head of the presidential administration Anatol Rubinau (who is called the main ideologist of a new school reform) had a meeting with journalists to discuss the results of the entrance exams to the high schools of Belarus.

08.08.2008 Past week of the electoral campaign: events and generalizations

The campaign on election to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus (to the lower chamber of the parliament) is in its prime. After the initiative groups were registered the collection of signatures for registration of candidacies has started.

08.08.2008 Pressurization of activists of Belarusian Popular Front Party

On 7 August a candidate from the BPF Party Yury Karetnikau passed to Minsk south-western district electoral commission #99 a list of 50 members of the BPF Party who agreed to be members of his initiative group.

08.08.2008 Dismissed for distribution of ‘Tovarishch’ newspaper?

An activist of the Party of Communists Belarusian Vasil Mamkin has been fired from the open stock company Elektraaparatura where worked for more than 25 years. He has sued to Chyhunachny district court of Homel for rehabilitation at work. He also demands from the defendant 10 million rubles in moral damages.

08.08.2008 Minsk: it is prohibited to hang paintings on the walls at BPF central office

On 8 August representatives of the fire security service of Savetski district of Minsk visited the central office of the Belarusian Popular Front Party. They held a check-up there and made several remarks to the secretaries of the office.

08.08.2008 Homel: Leanid Suladenka’s initiative group warned for informational leaflet

The team of the candidate of the united democratic forces Leanid Sudalenka received the first warning. On 7 August the chair of Khoiniki district electoral commission #47 Viktar Vaskevich phoned to Sudalenka to inform him about it.

08.08.2008 Minsk: pro-governmental candidates use administrative resource

The participation of state organs in collection of signatures for pro-governmental candidates and forcing of personnel to put signatures for them are quite usual violations at this stage of the electoral campaign. It is confirmed by observers, members of the initiative groups of other candidates and electors.

08.08.2008 Vitsebsk: state newspapers publish interviews with pro-governmental candidates ahead of agitation stage

On 7 August the newspapers founded by Vitsebsk administration published huge interviews with photos of the pro-governmental candidates to the parliament. Vitsbichy published an interview with Viktar Auchynnikau running who intends to run on Vitsebsk Chkalauskaya electoral district #18 (Pershamaiski administrative district), Narodnaye Slova and Vitsebski Rabochy – with Uladzimir Andreichanka who intends to run on Hlybokaye electoral district #22 (Hlybokaye, Dokshytsy and Ushachy districts).

08.08.2008 Brest: human rights activist Malei’s complaint ignored

The human rights activist Uladzimir Malei addressed the central electoral commission, Brest oblast executive committee and the presidium of Brest oblast Soviet of deputies with the demand to exclude from Mukhavets district electoral commission #4 its member Alexander Frantsevich. The reason is that during the last parliamentary elections Frantsevich had not admitted to the final counting of ballots and the final minutes the commission member U.Karpinchyk who had been charged with it by the secretary of the commission.