Kryčaŭ officials ordered to provide turnout of 25% during early voting

Independent observers in Kryčaŭ note that on the second day of early voting, October 7, the number of the people who wanted to vote early increased drastically, especially after 5 p.m., when the working hours ended at state enterprises and organizations.

According to the observers, Kryčaŭ District Executive Committee held a special meeting with the heads of enterprises and organizations of the Kryčaŭ district and ordered them to provide the turnout of 25% during the early voting. The observer of the Belarusina Helsinki Committee in the Kryčaŭ District Election Commission Siarhei Niarouny believes that the turnout will reach 30%, as the authorities eagerly started implementing the order.

In particular, on October 7 Deputy General Director of "Kryčaŭcamentašyfer" Zhana Kustrei personally came to Sožavy polling station in Kryčaŭ to check who of the employees had voted.

According to an independent observer at polling station No. 8 in Kryčaŭ, Nadzeya Ivanova, several employees of “Kryčaŭcamentašyfer" told her they were forced to vote early by the management of the company. Nadzeya Ivanova said that on October 7 there was an anecdotal case at polling station No. 8 when a worker came to the polling station and asked to be issued with a ballot paper so that he could vote. As he didn't bring his passport and the events were watched by the observer, the commission refused to give him a ballot paper. Then the man asked the commissioners to phone to his boss and tell that he had really come to vote.

Siarhei Niarouny notes that on October 7 the number of those “willing” to voter early increased at all four polling stations in Kryčaŭ where monitoring is held by independent observers.

"Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections"