Yarmoshyna issues unlawful order concerning numeration of polling stations in Minsk

The numeration of the polling stations in Minsk was performed with violation of the requirements of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus

Issue #137 (1509) of Minskiy Kurier newspaper (29 July 2008) published a description of the borders of polling stations for elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the Republic of Belarus of the fourth convocation. From this description it follows that all precincts of the capital have numbers from #1 to #695. However, according to part 2 of Article 42 of the Electoral Code the constituency electoral commissions are to independently number the polling stations on the territory of their constituencies. It means that there should be about 20 polling stations #1 in Minsk (on the territory of different constituencies).

So, the numeration was made in a centralized way on a level higher than constituency electoral commissions. When this issue was raised at a sitting of the Central electoral commission, its chairperson Lidziya Yarmoshyna confessed having issued an order for numeration of the polling stations. He explained that with such numerations it would be ‘easier’.

For instance, it can be easier to the state officials who are responsible for a number of different polling stations (though the law prohibits such involvement of state agencies and officials as watching the work of electoral commissions). According to our information the deputy head of Frunzenski district executive committee of Minsk Kozel, a member of Adzintsouskaya precinct electoral commission #101 will watch the work of four polling station: Adzintsouskaya #101, Sukharauskaya #102, Masiukovichy #103 and Kalvaryiskaya #104. If the numeration corresponded to the legal requirements and was not centralized, it could be quite puzzling for such ‘curators’.

However, before issuing such an order it was necessary to introduce appropriate amendments to the Electoral Code, which wasn’t done. That’s why the observers applied to the Procuracy of the Republic of Belarus with the request to take measures on restoring justice and putting the numeration of the polling stations in line with the legal requirements.

Human rights activists for free elections