News on the topic: elections-2008
03.09.2008 CEC prohibits unregistered candidates to use legal aid during consideration of their complaints
The Central electoral commission has started consideration of the complaints of the persons who had not been registered as candidates for the Chamber of Representatives of the fourth convocation.
03.09.2008 Brest: lists of candidates running at all constituencies have been published
On 3 September the electors of Brest familiarized with the printed lists of the registered candidates to the Chamber of Representatives at all 16 constituencies which are situated on the territory of Brest oblast.
03.09.2008 Orsha: numbers witness absence of equality
In Orhsa election observers analyzed the frequency of mentioning of candidates to the Chamber of Representatives by the local press. They chose for it two newspapers: a state one, Arshanskaya Hazeta, and a private one, Telecom Express.
03.09.2008 Candidate for deputy is prohibited to promote web-site of his party
On 2 September the majority of candidates to the Chamber of Representatives have finished recording their TV and radio appearances, which are to be broadcast since tomorrow.
03.09.2008 International Federation for Human Rights to demand the Belarusian government to investigate political disappearances
‘Opinion of people should come first in democratic countries. If election is undemocratic, people have the right to protest in the streets,’ Secretary General of the International Federation of Human Rights Luis Guillermo Perez told in an interview to the Charter’97 press center.
03.09.2008 Siarhei Salash accuses Yarmoshyna of disseminating lies
In his appeal to the Central Elections Commission Siarhei Salash, among other things, accused the chairperson Lidziya Yarmoshyna of dissemination of inaccurate information at a press-conference for mass media about his being summoned to police after a statement of Tatsiana Stasava (a secretary of the district commission of Barysau city electoral district #62). Tatsiana Stasava and Valyantsina Shutko accused Siarhei Salash of insulting them, calling them ‘falsifiers’ in presence of four witnesses. Yarmoshyna told to journalists that Salash was summoned to police on August 10, while according to Salash, in the summons received by him, he was summoned on August 18, which is the last day of submitting documents for registration.
03.09.2008 Teachers are ‘advised’ to vote for pro-regime candidate
Before the beginning of the new curriculum year in Pinsk a plenary session of teachers of the town took place in the town’s House of Culture. More than 700 teachers and headmasters have taken part in the event.
02.09.2008 Head of Rechytsa constituency commission says Putsitski owns thousands of shares
During the registration of candidates to the Chamber of Representatives the head of Rechytsa constituency electoral commission Vital Atamanchuk stated that candidate Putsitski allegedly owned thousands of shares of stock companies. Putsitski’s adherents consider this statement as an attempt to raise doubts among those who attended the sitting of the commission and thus discredit the candidate.
02.09.2008 Horki: candidate is threatened with changes in biography and prohibition to publish his electoral program
Constituency electoral commission #81 threatens Andrei Yurkou, a candidate for deputy from the Belarusian Popular Front Adradzhenne, with introduction of changes in his biography and prohibition to publish his electoral program in the local newspaper.
02.09.2008 Central electoral commissions received 50 complaints
As of 10 a.m. on 2 September the Central electoral commission received 50 complaints from the persons who had not been registered as candidates to the Chamber of Representatives. This information was voiced by the CEC secretary Mikalai Lazavik. He also stated that on 3 September the CEC would consider the complaints filed by dwellers of the regions and on 4 September – those filed by Minsk dwellers. The commission would also gather on 5 September should it be necessary.
02.09.2008 Newspaper is blacklisted because of journalist’s engagement in the elections
the Ministry of Information issued two official warnings to a non-state newspaper Bobruiskiy Kurier at once. One more warning had been issued to it on 7 November 2007. Having three warnings, the newspaper can be closed down by the court.
02.09.2008 Hrodna: an official candidate withdraws from the elections
One of the candidates registered at Hrodna-Zaniomanskaya constituency #49, Siarhei Kamianetski, withdrew from the elections. The constituency electoral commission confirmed this fact to the observers, but offered no explanations. The only thing they were told was that they could read about it all the next day, in the local state press.
02.09.2008 Central electoral commission does not regard numerous publications about pro-regime candidates as early agitation
The state media started publishing articles about the merits of the state officials who intended to run for the parliament, without waiting for the official registration of candidates for the parliament. Their ‘bright images’ were promoted for the readers already before the official registration of their candidacies and the beginning of the official state of agitation. As far as there were many such publications in the state mass media, the CEC received many addresses concerning early agitation.
02.09.2008 Democratic candidates are weeded out
The number of unregistered democratic candidates at the parliamentary election is extremely high, so one can’t say the oncoming election is democratic.
02.09.2008 Oppositional candidates are not admitted to TV
The candidates representing the authorities are often showed on TV while the opposition still have no access to the air.
