News on the topic: elections-2008
05.08.2008 Kobryn: MP confesses blackmailing Alexander Mekh
Kobryn court has carried out preliminary consideration of the case on complaint of the Belarusian popular Front Party activist Alexander Mekh. He complains of illegal dismissal from work.
04.08.2008 Staryia Darohi district: executive committee establishes working group for assistance to electoral commissions
On 24 July Naviny Staradarozhchyny, the newspaper of Staryia Darohi district executive committee, published an article ‘For assistance to polling station electoral commissions’.
04.08.2008 Slutsk: members of Anatol Yurevich’s initiative group are pressurized and face obstacles
According to the information of Vital Amialkovich, an observer at Slutsk electoral district #74, the members of the initiative group of the member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada Anatol Yurevich were not in the hostel of Slutsk meat combine and Slutsh college of reclamation industry where they intended to collect signatures for Yurevich’s nomination as a candidate to the Chamber of Representatives. The formal reason for the refusals was that the internal regulations allegedly prohibited the presence of unauthorized persons there.
04.08.2008 Vitsebsk: early agitation in the form of ‘report to the electors’
Siarhei Siamashka, a now deputy of the Chamber of Representatives, has got registered at Vitsebsk Chyhunachny electoral district #19 an initiative group for his nomination to candidates to the next convocation of Chamber of Representatives.
04.08.2008 Polatsk: ‘We were promised we would be able to collect signatures in our working time…’
A member of the initiative group of Piatro Yuzhyk (deputy head of Vitsebsk oblast executive committee) revealed in a private talk the way the initiative group had been created.
04.08.2008 Minsk: people are forced to sign in support of pro-governmental candidate at work
The workers of the Integral enterprise are made to come to work with their passports and sign in support for the candidacy of the director general, Mr. Kazlou.
04.08.2008 Vitsebsk: commission #21 does not know number and borders of polling sectors
Vitsebsk village electoral district #21 includes Vitsebsk, Haradok and Shumilina districts and a part of the city of Vitsebsk (the settlement of Ruba in Chyhunachny administrative district of Vitsebsk).
04.08.2008 Vitsebsk: occupation and party affiliation of future candidates are concealed
Maryna Zdolnikava, secretary of the electoral commission of Vitsebsk village electoral district #21, refused to inform journalist Valery Shchukin about the occupation and party affiliation of the pretenders to candidates, whose initiative groups had been registered by the commission. She only told him their names and surnames. Zdolnikava explained her refusal to give more information by saying that the requested information was not allowed for publication in mass media.
04.08.2008 Mahiliou: state newspaper boosts pro-governmental candidate
The state newspaper Mahiliouskaya Prauda, #65-66 for 1 August 2008 features an interview with Uladzimir Vasilenka, head of Mahiliou oblast organization of the Belarusian union of veterans of the war in Afghanistan, under the title ‘Go yourself, help the others and you’ll be given!’ It’s worth mentioning that Vasilenka has already registered his initiative group at district electoral commission #84. By the way, one of the members of commission #83, Anatol Pyntsikau, is a member of the organization, headed by Vasilenka.
04.08.2008 Brest oblast: all initiative groups registered
Brest oblast is the only of the seven administrative regions of Belarus where all initiative groups on nomination of candidates to the elections were registered. 16 district electoral commissions registered 49 initiative groups. 34 of these groups will collect signatures in support of non-partisans, 15 – for members of parties (14 of them – for candidates from the united democratic forces: 5 – for the Belarusian Popular Front Party, 4 – for the Party of Communists Belarusian, 3 – for the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) and 2 – for the United Civil Party).
04.08.2008 UCP members are interrogated in ‘Minsk blast’ case
Zmitser Slutski, head of Hrodna city organization of the United Civil Party, and leader of Hrodna organization of Young Democrats Alexandra Vasilevich, were called to the KGB directorate for Hrodna region.
04.08.2008 Brest: Prosecutor’s office confirms, the call with threats came from the MP’s office
Mekh received a response from the prosecutor’s office where he had complained about phone calls with threats and insults. The phone number which remained on his Mekh’s cell phone belonged to the office of MP Viktar Kuchynski. The prosecutor’s office confirmed the phone call had been made from Kuchynski’s office but failed to establish that he had threatened Mekh.
01.08.2008 Elections are coming near, the pressure on civil society representatives increases
With nearing of the elections the pressurization of participation of the electoral campaign and democratic activists from the side of law machinery and tax inspections increases.
01.08.2008 Journalist from Lida gets fingerprinted
On 30 July Stanislau Sudnik, editor of Nasha Slova newspaper, was summonsed to Lida KGB department. There he was asked usual questions about the 4 July blast in Minsk and fingerprinted.
01.08.2008 Aleh Hulak: procedure of complaining is too tough
On 31 July the Central Electoral Commission of Belarus considered the complaints against the refusals to register the initiative groups on nomination of candidates by collection of signatures. The CEC considered in essence only three out of the ten complaints which had been filed to it.
