30.07.2008 Rechytsa: Observers not registered

Nonpartisan residents of Rechytsa Uladzimir Koshchanka and Vital Charniauski were nominated as observers to Rechytsa district election commission through signature collection. However, the commission refused to register them as observers and recommended to come again around August 10th.

30.07.2008 Babruisk: authorities use administrative resources for signature collection

During signature collection in Babruisk rural district a member of Ales Chyhir’s initiative group learned from a voter, how signatures for the “official” candidate Anatol Hlaz were collected.

“One of the voters who I asked for the signature in support of Ales Chyhir said they had already put their signatures for Anatol Hlaz, and did it at work”, initiative group member Andrei Padaliak says, “It turned out, the company administration collected passports from all employees, copied their passport data and showed the space where they had to put their signature”.

30.07.2008 Human rights defender undergoes personal search at border

Viktar Sazonau, Hrodna civic activist and human rights defender, had to undergo personal search at Hrodna railway station twice during one day.

On July 28th Viktar Sazonau was travelling to Bialystok, Poland, for his personal business. However, the border guards found his name in some list and sent him back to the customs officers for a check. As a result, the train was delayed 15 minutes.

30.07.2008 Krychau: Democratic activists could organize blast because of personal resentment?

According to head of crime investigation department Chupryn, deputy head of Krychau administration Siarhei Marozau believes democratic activists could organize the blast in Minsk because of personal resentment. Chupryn shared that with independent candidate Herdzey.

According to Marozau, local activists Niarouny, Herdzey, and Kudrautsau could be offended by the refusal of the local authorities to permit their picket in support of Alexander Kazulin. Marozau thinks, the activists could bear malice and explode the bomb in Minsk on July 3rd.

30.07.2008 Mahiliou region: 24 initiative groups of democratic candidates in 13 districts

24 initiative groups of pro-democratic candidates are registered in Mahiliou region. Head of the election headquarters for Mahiliou region Yury Novikau points out: “all initiative groups of all pro-democratic candidates who wanted to run in the election were registered. They have already started collecting signatures. Candidates had no problems in registering their initiative groups”. “In the beginning 28 representatives of pro-democratic parties were going to run. For various reasons some of them decided not to run”. There are 13 districts in Mahiliou region. Initiative groups of pro-democratic candidates are registered in every district. Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections

30.07.2008 Hrodna KGB persecutes democratic candidates

On July 30th about 11 a.m. Hrodna representatives of BPF Party Vadzim Saranchukou and Siarhei Antusevich (both are members of BPF Soim) received phone calls from Hrodna KGB directorate. Both were invited to come to the local department of KGB.

Vadzim saranchukou told the KGB officer who failed to introduce himself that he had no time for such a meeting until Monday. Siarhei Antusevich said he could come to the office of Hrodna KGB directorate on July 31st, at 10 a.m. Formally the BPF representatives are summoned to give explanations about Minsk blast on July 3rd. In fact, KGB is persecuting activists for their participation in the elections.

30.07.2008 Anatol Liabedzka: “Unfortunately, prosecutors and taxation bodies are not interested in illegal arms supplies”

Head of the United Civil Party has faced a wave of the third check of taxing authorities.

Leader of the United Civil Party was told on the phone the activity of the Belarusian Euro-Atlantic Association, headed by Anatol Liabedzka long time ago, would be checked soon. Then inspector Yauheniya Paltavets visited the party office. She had an order for carrying out a field tax inspection. The order was signed by deputy head of Minsk inspection A. Ramashevich.

30.07.2008 KGB interested in Valiantsin Stefanovich’s family

Alina, wife of human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich, received a telephone call from KGB department in Minsk and Minsk region with a proposition to come to the KGB office for a conversation.

29.07.2008 Vileika: Zmitser Vinahradau submits complaint to CEC

On July 26th head of the regional BPF branch Zmitser Vinahradau filed a complaint to CEC about the decision of Vileika district election commission # 64. On July 24th the commission denied registration to his initiative group. The reason for denial was a statement from one of his team members that he had been included in the team against his will. According to head of Vinahradau’s initiative group the statement was written under pressure of the local “vertical”.

29.07.2008 Homel: Piotr Kuzniatsou’s initiative group not registered again

The decision not to register Piotr Kuzniatsou’s initiative group again was made by Homel-Centralny district election commission # 33 on Friday, July 25th. The reason was the refusal of two initiative group members to participate in the process. The commission states it has the appropriate statements from these two people. However, they failed to provide the documents to Kuzniatsou for either reading or copying.

29.07.2008 Early campaigning continues in Barysau

The executive committee’s Adzinstva newspaper published an appeal of the local veterans’ organization in its Saturday issue. The appeal which focused around the upcoming parliamentary elections was also broadcast on the local radio.

29.07.2008 Homel: Signatures for incumbent candidate collected with violations of the law

The team of Larysa Kuzniatsova collects signatures in support of her nomination in Homel-savetskaya district # 34 with serious violations of the election law. Members of Kuzniatsova’s initiative group use the administrative resource and misinform the voters. The facts were revealed by observer Andrei Tolchyn:

Staff member of a children’s institution located in the district told me, a signature collector came to the daycare she works at. The staff was proposed to sign for Kuzniatsova. It is worth mentioning, that the signature collector works in Savetski district administration of Homel. The signature collector proposed to sign in support of Kuzniatsova. When the staff member refused, the daycare director highly recommended to put the signature otherwise she would have “difficulties” at work. The staff member of the daycare wanted to remain anonymous.

29.07.2008 Barysau: Signature collection begins

On Monday, July 28th, Barysau rural district election commission # 63 registered two initiative groups for nomination of parliamentary candidates. The registered groups are the group of Vasil Huryanau, general director of Barysaukhlebpram state company, and the group of Siarhei Salash, member of BPF Party. On July 29th Salash’s initiative group consisting of 22 people, began to collect signatures.

29.07.2008 Observers denied registration in Hrodna

Hrodna-Zaniomanskaya district commission # 49 denied registration to two observers, Maksim Hubarevich and Yauheniya Vasilyeva, who gathered signatures in their support. They were told, the forms on which they collected the signatures do not comply with the norms. In particular, they failed to indicate full birthdates of the citizens. However, other commissions registered observers who collected signatures on the same forms without a problem. That is why the observers suspect that was not the real reason for the denial of registration. Maksim Hubarevich managed to register as an observer later – through nomination by the BPF party.

29.07.2008 Analysis: Formation of district election commissions

Formation of district election commissions for holding elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus