News on the topic: elections-2008
11.08.2008 Homel: state media continue agitating for pro-governmental candidates
The state regional newspaper Homelskiya Vedamastsi publishes interviews with the officials who run for parliament. In its issue for 9 August a whole page was dedicated to Alexander Shatsko. Now Shatsko is an MP from Navabelitskaya electoral district #36 of Homel. He also intends to run for parliament again.
11.08.2008 Homel oblast: democrats nominated 214 representatives to local electoral commissions
More than 1 100 polling stations have been established in Homel oblast. Thus, if all their representatives are included in the local electoral commissions, the united democratic forces can cover 20% of the polling stations.
11.08.2008 Babruisk: Ales Chyhir and his initiative group summonsed to military enlistment office
The resident of Babruisk Ales Chyhir who intends to run for parliament, has received a writ from the local military enlistment office. There it is written that he is summonsed to the office for ‘amendment of the documents’. Similar writs were received by two members of Chyhir’s initiative group. All writs are for Tuesday.
11.08.2008 Shchuchyn: state paper tells who is worth to be elected
In Shchuchyn an agitation article ‘Only worthy people must be in the parliament’ was published in the 5 August issue of the district newspaper Dziannitsa.
11.08.2008 Minsk: pressurization of nominees to electoral commissions
As said by members of the initiative group of a member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Viktar Ivashkevich, in the morning of 7 August the BPF filed the list of nominees to the local electoral commissions of Minsk Kastrychnitski electoral district #97. In the evening two of the nominees received telephone calls. They were asked whether they still wanted to be members of the initiative group and then were invited to the local administration without any explanations.
11.08.2008 Barysau: early agitation in state newspaper
A member of the United Civil Party Viktar Harbachou has addressed the Ministry of Information, the central electoral commission and Barysau district electoral commission #62 with a complaint about the lawless activities of the editorial office of the Yedinstvo newspaper, founded by Barysau district executive committee. The matter is that the newspaper has already published a number of articles with calls to vote for the MP Viktar Huminski again. Harbachou considers it as early agitation violating the electoral laws.
08.08.2008 Past week of the electoral campaign: events and generalizations
The campaign on election to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus (to the lower chamber of the parliament) is in its prime. After the initiative groups were registered the collection of signatures for registration of candidacies has started.
08.08.2008 Pressurization of activists of Belarusian Popular Front Party
On 7 August a candidate from the BPF Party Yury Karetnikau passed to Minsk south-western district electoral commission #99 a list of 50 members of the BPF Party who agreed to be members of his initiative group.
08.08.2008 Homel: Leanid Suladenka’s initiative group warned for informational leaflet
The team of the candidate of the united democratic forces Leanid Sudalenka received the first warning. On 7 August the chair of Khoiniki district electoral commission #47 Viktar Vaskevich phoned to Sudalenka to inform him about it.
08.08.2008 Minsk: pro-governmental candidates use administrative resource
The participation of state organs in collection of signatures for pro-governmental candidates and forcing of personnel to put signatures for them are quite usual violations at this stage of the electoral campaign. It is confirmed by observers, members of the initiative groups of other candidates and electors.
08.08.2008 Vitsebsk: state newspapers publish interviews with pro-governmental candidates ahead of agitation stage
On 7 August the newspapers founded by Vitsebsk administration published huge interviews with photos of the pro-governmental candidates to the parliament. Vitsbichy published an interview with Viktar Auchynnikau running who intends to run on Vitsebsk Chkalauskaya electoral district #18 (Pershamaiski administrative district), Narodnaye Slova and Vitsebski Rabochy – with Uladzimir Andreichanka who intends to run on Hlybokaye electoral district #22 (Hlybokaye, Dokshytsy and Ushachy districts).
08.08.2008 Brest: human rights activist Malei’s complaint ignored
The human rights activist Uladzimir Malei addressed the central electoral commission, Brest oblast executive committee and the presidium of Brest oblast Soviet of deputies with the demand to exclude from Mukhavets district electoral commission #4 its member Alexander Frantsevich. The reason is that during the last parliamentary elections Frantsevich had not admitted to the final counting of ballots and the final minutes the commission member U.Karpinchyk who had been charged with it by the secretary of the commission.
08.08.2008 Homel: libraries getting ready for the elections
Informational book exhibitions dedicated to the upcoming elections have appeared in the libraries of Homel. Journalist Larysa Olina states that in such a way the city libraries get prepared to the parliamentary elections.
08.08.2008 Brest: deputy Vialichka ‘reports to electorate’
Having registered his initiative group in order to get an opportunity to run for the parliament again, the deputy Aleh Vialichka decided to actively ‘report’ to the electors about his achievements.
07.08.2008 Vitsebsk: police inspector persecuted for intention to run for Parliament
Captain Andrei Levinau, 36-year-old local police inspector of Vitsebsk district police department, stated his intention to run for the parliament. This became a surprise not only for the authorities but also for the opposition, because till lately this officer had nothing to do with politics.
