Baranavichy: human rights defenders file proposals to Central Election Commission

On 13 October the Baranavichy human rights defenders Siarhei Housha and Karnei Piatrovich addressed the Central Election Commission with a proposal. The matter is that two members of the Baranavichy City Territorial Election Commission, Leanid Chukho and Larysa Antonava, are members of the electoral team of Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Larysa Antonava is a proxy of the deputy of the Chamber of Representatives Sviatlana Pishch. Her candidacy was nominated for the election commission by the trade union of workers of state institutions. She also used to head the ideological department of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee. Leanid Chukho is a retired military officer who was nominated to the commission by the Belarusian Union of Military Officers. The both of them had worked at election commissions during previous elections.
 
The observer Siarhei Housha phoned to the CEC, but didn’t receive a precise answer to his question. That’s why Karnei Piatrovich and Siarhei Housha composed a proposal to the Central Election Commission. They think that the membership of members of election commissions in electoral teams of candidates will by no means foster an unbiased realization of the powers of the election commissions. Moreover, what will happen if all members of an election committee will become members of the electoral team of one candidate? Will they be interested in providing the equal opportunities for all candidates and their teams?

According to the human rights defenders, the present legislation needs to be amended in order to provide all candidates with really equal opportunities for electoral campaigning. That’s why the applicants ask the Central Election Commission to voice its opinion about the raised issue and, in the case the CEC agreed with such proposal, ask them to address to the subjects of legislative initiative with a proposal to improve the electoral legislation.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections