Baranavichy: members of electoral commissions tour villages and ‘catch’ electors

According to the information of Ales Slabatsin, observer of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Ales Slabadzin, three groups of members of the electoral commission of polling station #1 of Baranavichy village constituency #7 simultaneously drove away for a ‘tour’ across villages.

The observer was not given any information about the number of the persons who allegedly wanted to vote at home. The list is very long and seems to have been composed by members of the electoral commission in advance. Later A.Slabadzin managed to find that one of the lists had been composed by the commission member Budziakova, who is allegedly a senior in one of the villages. This is a violation of Article #65 of the Electoral Code, according to which it is up to observers to decide whether to vote or no and to choose the most convenient form for voting. In addition, if there are three teams of members of polling station commission who drive away for home voting, it is quite hard to monitor the voting.

A similar situation can be observed at the polling stations of Ivatsevichy electoral constituency #11. According to information of a member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Uladzimir Hundar (who watched the events) in the yard of his house in Fraliankou Street #20 two members of an electoral commission were catching people and proposing them to vote. They managed to persuade two pensioners. Of course, they did not even ask them to show passports.

Human rights activists for free elections