The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 22 Mar 2010

22.03.2010 Election campaign: past week in facts and figures

The beginning of the week coincided with the last day of nomination of candidates for deputies of local councils of various levels. Official figures on the number of persons who applied to the territorial and constituency election commissions for registration of their candidacies were made public. Lidzia Yarmoshyna publicly named the scanty rate of nominees from the political parties as the results of the ‘advantages’ given to the parties by the amended electoral law. Against the background of statements by the CEC head on enhancing competition among candidates for deputy seats, the representatives of pro-democratic forces began counting uncontested constituencies in the country.

22.03.2010 Vitsebsk region: canvassing opportunities restricted

Analysts say canvassing opportunities in Vitsebsk region are considerably restricted after local state-owned mass media published official decisions by executive committees of different levels.

22.03.2010 Baranavichy Prosecutor sees no visible legal violations in election campaign

Baranavichy independent observer Siarhei Housha received a reply to his appeal lodged with the town’s prosecutor’s office, claiming that the complaint was ‘groundless’. The claim was filed after local state-owned newspaper ‘Nash Krai’ failed to meet the provisions of the Electoral Code and publish the list of divisional electoral commissions members in due time.

22.03.2010 Rechytsa divisional election commission demands illegal papers

Rechytsa divisional election commission demands Andrei Stryzhak, running in local constituency #49, to provide documents that are not required by the law. The Commission required that the candidate provided unemployment certificate, after Mr. Stryzhak stated that he was temporarily unemployed in his registration application.

22.03.2010 Supreme Court rules in favour of Ministry of Justice

The Supreme Court of Belarus dismissed the claim by the ‘Razam’ independent trade union against the Ministry of Justice, which refused the Union state registration, Radio Racyja reports quoting the organization’s chair Iryna Yaskevich. In her verdict, Judge Larysa Filimanikhina claimed that one of the claimants Mikalai Kaniukh had been illegally elected and therefore had no legal authority to sign the claim.

22.03.2010 Number of voters in Svetlahorsk district deviates from norm

In eight constituencies of Svetlahorsk district the quantity of voters diverges from the norm provided by the Electoral Code. Article 15 of the Code states that constituencies are formed by equal amounts of voters, with 10% of admissible deviation.