News on the topic: elections-2008
06.08.2008 Vitsebsk oblast: obstacles to initiative group of Tatsiana Seviarynets
While collecting signatures for oppositional candidate Tatsiana Seviarynets, the members of her initiative group faced different problems. One of them is that the members of the initiative group of the pro-governmental candidate Henadz Hrytskevich lied to the electors that they had the right to sign only for one candidate.
06.08.2008 44 MPs to run for the second time
44 present deputies of the Chamber of Representatives have registered their initiative groups for collection of signatures giving them the opportunity to run for a seat at the Parliament again. The candidacies of two more deputies were nominated by working collectives. This information was made public by the head of the Central Electoral Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna.
06.08.2008 Babruisk: state media praise pro-governmental candidates
In Babruisk there started hidden agitation for pro-governmental nominees to the Parliament. For instance, the newspaper Babruiskaye Zhyttsio (founded by Babruisk town executive committee) published an interview with the chief engineer of the open stock company Belshyna Uladzimir Karpiak, running at Babruisk Pershamaiskaya electoral district. The interview is quite large and tells about his work, family and hobbies, which looks like electoral advertisement of Karpiak. At the same time, unhidden agitation against democratic and oppositional candidates can be found in the newspaper.
06.08.2008 Baranavichy: anonymous thanks to pro-governmental candidate
In Baranavichy the state newspaper Nash Krai (#91 for 5 August 2008) published another article about general Vankovich, who is a deputy now and intends to run for a seat at the Parliament again. This time it was made on behalf of some Dzmitry Mikhalavich (surname unknown).
06.08.2008 Baranavichy: state media agitate for pro-governmental candidates
No agitation is permitted by the law at the present stage of the electoral campaign. However, the state media often publish materials about pro-governmental candidates.
06.08.2008 Homel police interrogates observer in blast case
The ‘main witness’ in the case of the blast in Minsk was interrogated on Monday. However, democratic activists continue to be summonsed to Savetski district police department of Homel for ‘talks’. On 4 August at 8 pm a police officer phoned to Uladzimir Shytsikau, an observer at electoral district #33. The policeman did not introduce himself, but invited Shytsikau to the police department as a witness in the ‘blast’ case.
06.08.2008 Troubles with collection of signatures in Polatsk region
In Navapolatsk electoral district #25 two members of the initiative group of the member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Ihar Valiayeu were forced to refuse from their membership in the group by pressure at work. Other members of the initiative group were photographed by the police while going out of the house where they were collecting signatures. Then the policemen quickly got into their cars and drove away without offering any explanations. At the same time, some members of the initiative group of I.Antonava told those who signed for her that they had no right to sign in support of more than one candidacy.
06.08.2008 Members of Stanislau Bahdankevich’s initiative group beaten
In Minsk Yury Fabisheuski and Siarhei Kastylenka, members of the initiative group for nominating the former head of the National bank Stanislau Bahdankevich a candidate to the parliament were beaten by unidentified persons. The incident took place yesterday during collection of signatures in support of S. Bahdankevich.
06.08.2008 Vitsebsk: new action for boycott of elections
In the run-up to the so-called Parliamentary elections actions under Boycott! title are held all over Belarus.
06.08.2008 Taisiya Kabanchuk dismissed from work
The employment of the activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Hramada) from Babruisk Taisiya Kabanchuk has been terminated.
05.08.2008 Financial police disturbs not only future candidates, but also members of their families
Recently the pretenders to candidates Yury Novikau, Uladzimir Novikau, Alexander Irkho, Ihar Kavalenka and Mikalai Rasiuk received writs to financial police.
05.08.2008 Baranavichy: runaround instead of answer concerning forcing to collection of signatures
The observer Viktar Syrytsa has received a runaround from the head of Baranavichy western district electoral commission #5 Alexander Rusenchyk. In his address to the official Syrytsa stated that on 25 July in the hall of the club of building trust #25 five teachers from each school of Baranavichy were gathered and the head of the personnel department of Baranavichy city executive committee Aleh Savos, who was not a member of an electoral commission, demanded that the teachers collected signatures for the pro-governmental candidate, Major-General Vankovich.
05.08.2008 Fingerprints taken from Barys Vyrvich
On 4 August the police officers Kiryl Khlus and Alexander Rusetski came to the apartment of Barys Vyrvich, hear of the initiative group of the candidate to the Chamber of Representatives Ryhor Kastusiou, member of the BPF Party. The police officers asked Mr. Vyrvich where he had been on 3 July. Then they took his fingerprints and a saliva sample. Barys Vyrvich is convinced that the interrogation in the case of the blast in Minsk is connected with his public position and activities as the head of Kastusiou’s initiative group.
05.08.2008 152 election observers received official accreditation in Belarus
On 5 August, at the press-conference in Minsk the head of the Central Electoral Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna stated that official accreditation had been already given to 152 observers.
05.08.2008 Oppositional candidate Aliaksei Yanukevich is summonsed to KGB in connection with 4 July blast
A KGB officer Yury Salauyou has called to the deputy head of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, candidate to the Chamber of Representatives Aliaksei Yanukevich to invite him to a ‘talk’ in connection with the blast which had taken place in Minsk on 4 July in the morning.
