The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 5 Sep 2008

05.09.2008 Brest oblast: Jack of all trades Nina Fedaruk

On 23 august the state newspaper Narodnaya Trybuna (distributed on the territory of Brest oblast) published an article With relish! Mushroom salad in which Nina Fedaruk, a pretender for candidate at Mukhavets electoral constituency #4 and a deputy of the present parliament, told the readers that she liked household choirs, her family and home… She even proposed to the readers the recipe of her mushroom salad.

05.09.2008 Mahiliou: youth activists are expelled from university

The coordinator of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Tatsiana Shambalava and a leader of Mahiliou organization of the Young Front Rastsislau Pankratau are expelled from Mahiliou State University.

05.09.2008 Central electoral commission calls candidate’s complaint unethical

A candidate at Babruisk-Pershamaiskay electoral constituency #79 Mikhail Kavalkou received an answer to his complaint, signed by the head of the Central electoral commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna.

05.09.2008 Minsk: candidate Viktar Yanchurevich intends to hold 23 electoral pickets

A candidate at Kalinouskaya electoral constituency in Minsk, adherent of the movement For Freedom Viktar Yanchurevich has addressed the city authorities to require permission for holding 23 pickets. He intends to meet with the electors during each day of his agitation campaign and tell him about his electoral program. He is also going to inform them about the ‘peculiarities’ of the present elections and the general political situation in the country.

05.09.2008 Short-time strikes of entrepreneurs in Rechytsa and Barysau

On 4 September in the morning the entrepreneurs of Slaviantski and Tsentralny markets of Rechytsa held a short strike. The reasons for the action were explained by an activist of the entrepreneurs’ movement Aleh Shabetnik.

05.09.2008 Past week of the electoral campaign: events and generalizations

The main events this week were the beginning of the agitation campaign of candidates for deputies and the consideration by the Central electoral commission of the complaints of the people who had not been registered as candidates. After the CEC considered the complaints, eight more candidates were registered.

05.09.2008 Minsk: ‘Young Front’ activist Vadzim Kaniauka is detained

On 5 September in Minsk the police detained the Young Front activist Vadzim Khanyauka.

05.09.2008 Fans are not allowed to support Georgia at football team in Minsk

Riot policemen were not allowing young people enter the ‘Georgian’ sector of Tractor stadium in Minsk. Young people wanted to join fans of Georgia at the game of youth teams of Russia and Georgia in Minsk. At the same time, the state flags of Russia were handed out to football fans at the stadium in an organized manner.

05.09.2008 Hrodna: a leader of the Union of Poles Mechyslau Yaskevich detained

On 4 September Mechyslau Yaskevich, the deputy head of the Union of Poles in Belarus, was detained by the police and guarded to Kastrychnitski district police department.

05.09.2008 Aleh Hulak: in the majority of cases electoral commissions refused to register people as candidates for formal reasons

Observing the consideration of complaints by the Central election commission, the chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak noted that shortcomings of the election laws were revealed during the consideration: ‘The majority of refusals of registration have formal grounds. It is obvious, that many procedures of candidates registration present formal obstacles, that have no relation to ensuring of the right to vote and the right to be elected,’ he said.

05.09.2008 Hrodna: activist of ‘European Belarus’ gets detained for handing out newspaper

On 4 September in Hrodna an activist of the European Belarus civil campaign Yakau Perchyk was detained for distributing of the Vybor newspaper. The newspaper was dedicated to boycott of the oncoming parliamentary election.

05.09.2008 Vitsebsk: calls for early voting

On 4 September a state newspaper Narodnaye Slova, founded by Vitsebsk oblast soviet of deputies and Vitsebsk oblast executive committee, called on the electorate to vote early, from 23to 27 September.

05.09.2008 Central election commission ignores the demand of political parties

The Central election commission didn’t agree on including a question on checking legality of precinct election commissions’ formation into the agenda of its latest session.

05.09.2008 Elections: analysis of the stage of registration of candidates

Human rights activists for free elections have analysed the stage of registration of candidates for deputies of the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus of the fourth convocation.