17.07.2008 Local administration interferes with activity of Baranavichy rural district # 7

Officials of Baranavichy administration violate the law by interfering in te activisty of Baranavichy rural district commission. On July 17th BHC member Mikalai Chyzhykau came to the district election commission (room 302 in the building of the district administration).

17.07.2008 Many members of district election commissions worked during parliamentary election 2004.

We compared the lists of district election commissions in Homel region with the lists of the same commissions in 2004. It turned out many commission members already have experience of working in the commission from 2004.

The lists of district commissions in Homel did not change much. In district #35 eight out of thirteen members are the same people. In districts ## 33 and 34, four out of thirteen members are the same.

17.07.2008 Orsha: No UDF representatives in the commissions, no public allowed at sessions

In Orsha region (districts ## 26 and 27) none of the UDF representatives were included in the district election commissions. That decision was made at the joint meeting of Vitebsk regional administration and the Presidium of the regional Council. BHC representative Vasil Berasnou and Tavarysh newspaper reporter Mikola Petrushenka, who wanted to observe how the commissions were formed, were not allowed to attend the sessions/

17.07.2008 Mikalai Lazavik pays incognito visit to Hrodna?

Unofficial sources report, yesterday, on July 16th, deputy head of the Central Election Commission Mikalai Lazavik visited Hrodna.

He carried out a seminar for “troikas” from the district election commissions in the region: its chairmen, deputy chairmen and secretaries.

The visit of the official was not covered by the official press. At least, Hrodna newspapers of July 17th do not report about Nikalai Lazavik’s visit.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections

17.07.2008 First sessions of district commissions in Homel region

On July 16th district election commissions gathered for their first session. The commission of district #35 had a session in the building of Savetski district administration of Homel city (Rechytskaya Shasha, 6). At the same time, the officially stated place of the meeting was Barykina Street, 143. No one picks up the phone of the commission at its official headquarters.

17.07.2008 Opposition representative not included into Zhlobin district commission

There will be none opposition represnentaives in Zhlobin district. Two neighbouring districts – Rahachou and Svetlahorsk – have one UDF representative each. Civic activist Anatol Papou was nominated to Zhlobin district election commission by signature collection. However, he did not get the seat in the commission.

17.07.2008 Barysau: representatives of pro-democratic parties did not get seats in district commissions

Only today, on July 17th, the lists of Barysau districts # # 62 and 63 commission members became available through the publication in Minskaya Prauda newspaper. The district commissions were formed by the presidium of Minsk regional Council and Minsk regional election committee 3 days ago, on July 14th.

17.07.2008 Hrodna authorities continue to keep lists of district election commission member in secret

Hrodna authorities refuse to give any information on the requests of commission candidates, human rights activists, party leaders, journalists, and ordinary citizens about the lists of election commission members. They stick to the explanation that all information is available in the press.

However, Hrodna official newspapers failed to publish the commission lists. Only the local Perspectiva newspaper published the list of district commission members in Hrodna rural district #52. UCP representative Alexander Pahuliayeu is a member of this commission. Hrodna authorities continue to keep in secret the names of the people who became members of other district commissions in Hrodna region. The next issue of Hrodzenskaya Prauda, which is supposed to publish the lists, will come out only on Saturday, July 19th.

Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections

17.07.2008 Salihorsk: authorities refuse to inform BHC representatives about meetings of district election commissions

On July 15th observers P. batuyeu and M. Sharavar addressed Salihorsk district executive committee with the request to inform them about the date, time and place of the first session of Salihorsk city and Salihorsk rural election commissions. They also attached an extract from the minutes of BHC board meeting which sent them to the meetings of the respective election commissions as observers.

17.07.2008 Homel region: political and civic activists interrogated about the blast

On July 12th in Kalinkavichy a local policeman knocked on the doors of Dzianis Rabianok’s apartment. Police officer E. Drabysheuski told Dzianis’s mother that he urgently needed to talk to her son. Dzianis’ mother said he was not at home. The policeman told her he wanted to come inside to make sure Dzianis was not there. His mother refused to open the door and the policeman left.

17.07.2008 Brest: because of the high “competition” Siarhei Vakulenka did not get a place in district election commission

Siarhei Vakulenka, agent of Alexander Milinkevich and international observer in the past, was nominated to become member of election commission of Brest-Centralnaya district # 2.

According to Alexander Kaliada, member of the Central Election Commission, head of the main board for organizational work and staff, Vakulenka was not selected as a commission member because of the very high competition in the district: 22 candidates for only 13 seats. He also pointed out: “when forming the commission we primarily were guided by the goal to make the commission efficient and having representation of the wide political spectrum in the country. Vakulenka did not get a seat in the commission in the draft of our ruling. We decided that other representatives are better in meeting our criteria. “

17.07.2008 Deputy head of Baranavichy rural district commission promotes President’s ideas

The first session of the district election commission in Baranavichy rural election district # 7 (Baranavichy and Liakhavichy districts) took place. Piotr Dubouski, deputy director for ideology of Baranavichy poultry factory, was elected head of the election commission. Leanid Kaubasa, head of the ideological department of Liakhavichy executive committee, was elected his deputy.

17.07.2008 Executive authorities represented in almost all of district election commissions of Brest region

Despite the fact that Brest regional executive committee and the Presidium of the regional Council made the decision to create election commissions with maximum number of members (13 people to each of the 16 commissions), some of them were not selected but appointed by the bodies which created the commissions. Thus, out of 208 commission members which were to be selected, 28 (14 from the regional executive committee, and 14 from the Presidium of the regional Council) were appointed.

16.07.2008 UDF candidate Alexander Mekh receives threatening calls

On July 8th, Kobryn activists Alexander Mekh received a threatening phone call. He tells his story: “At 12.11 someone called me on the cell phone. I received the call. Immediately I heard foul language, insults and threats.

16.07.2008 Brest: K. Sumar supports equal opportunities for all candidates and exclusion of forced early voting

Kanstantsin Sumar is the head of Brest regional executive committee. At the recent meeting of the Brest regional executive committee Presidium and the Regional Council, dedicated to approval of district election commissions, he said: “We have set our main goal for this election – it is to carry it out in the most open way, strictly within the framework of the election law and the Constitution of our country, and to make them the most transparent. We will do everything possible in order to observe the law, in order to receive and satisfy all applications and proposals which will be coming from NGOs and political parties, as well as from candidates.