23.09.2008 Minsk: CEC does not consider proposals and complaints of opposition members “the global issues”.

The Central Election Commission ignores the majority of the proposals and complaints from the opposition representatives. The sense of practically all replies of the CEC leadership on the remarks and demands of the democrats can be described in one sentence: the raised issues are not worth wasting time on them. The last session of the Central Election Commission is another proof of that.

23.09.2008 Yelsk: Democratic candidate’s team member detained

On September 22nd, 10 p.m. the police detained Vasil Siliverst in Yelsk. He is member of the initiative group of UCP candidate in Paleskaya district # 43 Mikalai Haurylenka.

23.09.2008 Tatsiana Seviarynets drops out from the race

She is the first and the only representative of the opposition in Vitebsk region who decided to stop her participation in the election campaign. The opposition candidate submitted a statement to the district election commission saying she refuses from participation in the election because of systematic violations of the election law during this campaign.

23.09.2008 Mahiliou: Independent candidate faces censorship of her campaign materials

Candidate in Mahiliou-Kastrychnitskaya district # 86 Natallia Zaitsava faced censorship of her campaign materials.

Without her knowledge members of district election commission # 87 made changes in the information poster with her bio.

They deleted information that Natallia Zaitsava lost her job not on her own will but due to Edict 760 which forbade individual entrepreneurs to hire anyone but their close relatives from the text.

Instead, they wrote “temporally unemployed”. Information that Natallia’s father was a worker for 50 years and grandfather headed a group of city partisans and was killed by the Nazis was deleted too.

23.09.2008 Cherykau: Workers of hog-breeding farm forced to ride to the meeting with official candidate Razhanau.

Today, at 5.15 p.m. a meeting of voters with chair of Mahiliou rayon executive committee, candidate in district # 88 Razhanau will take place. The meeting will be held in the school of Verameiki village of Cherykau rayon.

Workers of hog-breeding farm “Svetlaye” claim, after work they are to be put on the bus which will take them to the meeting with that candidate. Besides that, the farm management threatened them that they would create the lists of those who did not come to the meeting, and they would later have problems at work. The service bus which usually takes workers home will not stop at its regular stops but will go directly to Verameiki, where the local school will host a meeting with the official candidate Razhanau.

23.09.2008 Slutsk: Very different “equal” conditions for campaigning

Vital Amialkovich, observer in Slutsk district # 74, reports violation of teh principle of equality of candidates occurred in the district.

For instance, voters were forced to come to the majority of meetings with the official candidate Inesa Kliashchuk. Kliashchuk openly enjoyed the support from the officials of Slutsk rayon executive committee: deputy chair of the executive committee Piotr Dauhuchyts and head of the ideology department Larysa Dabravolskaya. They accompanied the candidate to the meetings, and used service vehicles to take the candidate to rural areas.

23.09.2008 Babruisk: Candidate’s ordeal with printing presses

Babruisk entrepreneur Viachaslau Shelekh, who runs in Asipovichy district # 89, addressed Babruisk printing press with the request to print his campaign materials. The candidate literally had to persuade the printing press management, and after four days of negotiations he managed to do that. Asipovichy rayon executive committee transferred the money to the printing press’ account.

When Viachaslau Shelekh came to pick up the materials on the appointed day he was informed the agreement had been denounced by the press. The candidate addressed the other printing presses but was refused. As a result, Babruisk resident had to go to Homel, where his campaign materials were printed on September 19th.

23.09.2008 Vitebsk: Candidate Andrei Levinau attacked

On September 22nd , 7.30 p.m. Andrei Levinau, candidate in Vitebsk-Chyhunachnaya district # 19, was attacked in the entrance hall of his own apartment building.

23.09.2008 Slutsk: Words “Vote only on September 28!”

Vital Amialkovich, observer in Slutsk election district # 74, reports, printing press staff attempted to exclude words “Vote only on September 28!” from the leaflet of the UDF candidate Anatol Yurevich. The phrase was finally included in the leaflet after interference of chairman of Slutsk district election commission Alexander Andrushkevich.

23.09.2008 Babruisk: Candidates stand up for their reputation

Candidates Alena Midzvedzeva (BSDP H) and Uladzimir Siamashka (UCP) had to write complaints to CEC and the prosecutor’s office after they have read the articles by Babruiskaye Zhytstsio newspaper. The articles they refer to insult their honor and dignity.

23.09.2008 Homel: District commission bans campaigning against pro-governmental opponents

On September 22nd chair of Homel-Savetskaya district # 34 Mikalai Malyi did not let a group of citizens to Festyvalny conference room which was appointed as a place for election events. During the planned event the organizers planned to campaign against the official candidate Larysa Kuzniatsova. The event organizer Uladzinmir Katsora and speaker Alexander Milinkevich had to conduct the meeting in the open air.

23.09.2008 No control over early voting

Early voting starts today in Belarus. Anyone can vote early in any of the five days which are left before September 28th. No documents proving that a person cannot vote on the Election Day are required.

On one hand, it is clear that early voting provides for an opportunity to vote for people who cannot go to the polls on September 28th. On the other hand, the system of early voting which exists in Belarus, provides for broad possibilities to manipulate with the votes. There are numerous examples when during the previous parliamentary election collective farmers were brought to polling stations on trucks, and students were forced to vote early.

23.09.2008 Kapyl: Court decides not to consider complaint about violations in formation of commissions

On September 22nd the Judicial Board for civic cases of Minsk oblast court considered the complaint of BHC observer Viktar Dashkevich about the decision of Kapyl rayon court which refused to instigate civic proceedings about unlawfulness of decisions made by Kapyl rayon executive committee when forming precinct election commissions.

23.09.2008 Vitebsk: Agent of candidate Kanyhin detained

Siarhei Haurutsikau, agent of candidate in Vitebsk-Chyhunachnaya district # 19 Ihar Kanyhin was detained in Vitebsk on September 22nd. He was detained on the report by a “vigilant citizen”, who did not like the text of the leaflet he found in his mailbox. The leaflet informed the citizens about the demands of the European Union about the changes of the Belarusian election legislation and about violations during formation of the election commissions, and why the parliamentary elections cannot be recognized free and fair.

23.09.2008 Vitebsk: Candidate faces obstacles in campaigning

Andrei Levinau, candidate in Vitebsk-Chyhunachnaya district # 19, received a written reply from acting CEO of “Ceramica” company P. Z. Pryzhytomski, who refused him a meeting with the company staff. He explained, in conjunction with non-stop nature of production process, the company had no possibility for organizing a meeting with voters. The letter was prepared by Z. I. Zhaholkin. It turned out, he is the company’s deputy CEO and member of the district election commission in Vitebsk-Chyhunachnaya district # 19.