22.09.2008 Homel region: independent web-sites cover election campaign

A number of regional web-sites regularly publish information about the election campaign in Homel region. They publish both their own and local news, published by the national independent sources. In particular the regional web-sites offer the visitors information about unequal conditions for official and pro-democratic candidates.

22.09.2008 Less and less candidates left

Less and less candidates continue to participate in the election to the Chamber of Representatives. 270 candidates continue the struggle for 110 mandates. CEC secretary Mikalai Lazavik gave this number to RFE/RL today. Out of 270 candidates, 69 represent the United Democratic Forces.

22.09.2008 Lukashenka: “Observers should not press on election commissions”

Unprecedented conditions for transparency of the election campaign have been created in Belarus, state leader Alexander Lukashenka claimed at the conference about the course of the election today.

The Belarusian leader especially stressed that practically everyone who wanted to observe the election were invited to the country.

22.09.2008 Yarmoshyna: “Week-ends are sacred…"

In its Saturday issue Edinstvo newspaper, founded by Barysau rayon executive committee, published information about the possibility of early voting on its front page. The appeal was followed by Yarmoshyna's response to the question, how widely early voting is practiced in the CIS and other countries of the world.

Yarmoshyna claims, that the “week-ends are sacred for people, city residents go to the country. And it is too expensive to appoint elections on a week-day, making it a holiday“.

22.09.2008 Polatsak: Detentions for distributing newspaper Vybar

Polatsak police drew up reports on youth activists Ales Krutkin from Polatsak and Kastus Ivanou from Vitebsk. The guys accused of distribution of printed materials without publisher’s data had to spend 1.5 hours in the police station. When the reports were drawn up, the police informed them they would receive summons to court or administrative commission.

The police officers did not return 228 copies of Vybar newspaper that advocates for boycott of the parliamentary election.

22.09.2008 Elections boycotted in Smarhon

When opposition candidates were not registered in Smarhon district # 59, local activists began the campaign for boycotting the election.

Let us remind the readers, the district commission refused to register UCP candidate Mikalai Ulasevich and BSDP (H) activist Iryna Veshtard. The election will be uncontested in the district: the only candidate, and, no doubt, the future “people’s representative” will be the incumbent MP, pro-governmental communist Tatsiana Holubeva.

22.09.2008 Loyeu: Official candidates suffer from state newspaper

The newspaper of Loyeu rayon executive committee “Serp I Molat” of September 20th, 2008 published an appeal to the voters of official candidate H. Dashkevich who runs in Khoiniki district # 47. The authorities were so keen to publish the “appeal to the people” as soon as possible that they forgot to publish the name of the candidate. Isn’t that a scandal? We wonder if the candidate is going to complain to Loyeu court asking for compensation of moral damage.

22.09.2008 Vitebsk: Commissions lost in time

Polling station # 56 of Kastrychnitski rayon of Vitebsk (Vitebsk-Kastrychnitskaya district # 20) is designed according to the norms of the election legislation. At least, it looks like that at first glance. However, if one takes time to carefully read the plan of work of the precinct election commission, placed at the information board one can get an impression that a time funnel has been created in the area, and time is flowing back there.

22.09.2008 Homel: Military forces strengthen the center?

Extra-ordinary activity of the military was noticed in Homel on September 18th. Ten days before the election, the military and equipment began to move to the center of the city.

22.09.2008 Vitebsk: campaign materials of the official candidate found at polling station

On September 20th Vitebsk residents continued to nominate observers to precinct election commissions and polling stations. At the same time, observers encountered certain problems.

21.09.2008 UDF will not withdraw candidates

On September 21st the Political Council of the United Democratic Forces took place in Minsk. UDF participation in the parliamentary election 2008 was on the agenda.

The UDF Political Council decided not to withdraw its candidates. “There will be no organized withdrawal of candidates representing the United Democratic Forces”, -- UCP leader Anatol Liabedzka told BelaPAN.

21.09.2008 Mazyr: UCP candidate receives warning

On September 19th Mazyr district commission #42 held a session. The goal of the session was proposed by commission chair M. M. Pashynski in the following way: discussion of “production and distribution of the leaflet of candidate L. Arlou”. Leanid Arlou is a member of UCP, associate professor of Mazyr Teacher’s University.

21.09.2008 Svetlahorsk: Not all voters included in voters’ lists

A member of one of precinct election commissions in Svetlahorsk reports, the chairman of the commission instructed them not to include all voters living in the precinct in a voters’ list. “There are people who never go to the polls in every precinct. Experienced members of precinct election commissions know who they are. The school principal said such people should not be included in the lists.”, -- the member of a precinct election commission, who asked not to publish his name, said. They received similar instructions during the previous elections, he added.

21.09.2008 Drahichyn: Police detain for campaigning

On September 21st, 9.50 a.m. Drahichyn police detained two activists near the entrance to the city market. Ales Ramanovich, agent of BPF candidate Uladzimir Kazeka (Dnepra-Buhskaya district # 10), and his team activist Vasil Prakopchyk were detained for distribution of Kazeka’s campaign materials. The detained were taken to Drahichy police department. The police officers explained the detention in a very strange way: they claimed, campaigning is banned at work places. However, they failed to explain, whose work places they were referring to.

20.09.2008 Baranavichy: Authorities embroider the statistics before the elections

The department of the ideological work of Baranavichy city executive committee spread the material “Belarus on the edge of elections” through Nash Krai newspaper (# 111 of September 18th, 2008).