Syarhei Vaznyak: It is clearly seen by ballots how rigging is done in Belarus

The early vote procedure which has started in the elections to local councils of deputies of the 26th convocation, according to experts, is an entirely undemocratic procedure.

In the Belarsuian situation it envisages rather not a possibilty to vote for those who really cannot come to participate in the election on the voting day, but a compulsary forced turnout of many citizens, the website of "Human rights activists for free elections" campaign informs.

– The Belarsuian administrative resource forces as many people as possible to participate in the early vote, in order to start manipulations with voting ballots before the official day of voting, – said Syarhei Vaznyak, a member of Minsk city election campaign, a representative of "Just World" party, commenting on the situation with early vote. – In really democratic conditions early vote should not exceed 1-3%. When this figure is 20-30% like in the last election campaign, and 60-90% at some polling stations (in labour collectives and students' townships), what democracy could be talk about?

As the obligatory voter turn-out of 50% was decreased, these figures could be lower. However even amewndments to the Electoral code which require quorum of two thirds of the commission members for sealing ballot boxes (earlier this procedure could be made by two members of a commission), do not guarantee that access to voting ballots would not be possible in a needed format, the expert believes.

– On the days of early vote, voting ballots are not securely controlled anyway, and even a seal won't stop those who wold like to exchange voting ballots, – Syarhei Vaznyak is convinced. – I would be surprised if results of this election would differ from the results intended by the regime. However, pressure on the people to make them take part in the early vote would be lower than in previous campaigns, but I think we will witness forced appearance of some groups of voters.

The member of the city commission supposes that the surge of early voting is to take place on the 3-4th days after it is announced. As the practice shows, on the first and the last days of the early vote not many voters come.

– Exchange of voting ballots usually takes place on the 5th day, when a maximum number of them is accumulated, – Syarhei Vaznyak said. – When you start to compare the results in ballots from early vote ballot boхes and in ballots on the polling day, it is clearly seen where manipulations had taken place.