Rechytsa: slits of ballot boxes won’t be taped

Chyrvonastsiazhnaya precinct election commission #28 in Rechytsa held a sitting on the eve of the early voting. Its member Siarhei Hapaniuk, representative of the Belarusian Popular Front, was informed about it in advance. However, he was told that the sitting would take place at 3 a.m. on 13 December.

However, when he came there he learned that the sitting started at 2 p.m. He asked the commission Chairperson, Tamara Shvedava, about it. She answered that it was necessary to hold the sitting as soon as possible because of an order of the Chairperson of the Rechytsa District Election Commission, Vital Atamanchuk.

Being asked when the ballot box will be sealed, T.Shvedava answered that it would be done on 14 December, and only a seal would be put, whereas the slit wouldn’t be taped with a sheet of paper with signatures of 2/3 of the commission members (as required by the law). She said that an appropriate order had been given by Mr. Atamanchuk, but didn’t specify whether it was a written or an oral order.

Mr. Hapaniuk says that if the slit is not taped, it becomes very easy to throw in any number of ballots. The chairperson of the precinct commission or any other person can break the seal in a convenient moment and throw in filled ballots, after which a new seal can be put on.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections