News on the topic: local council elections-2010
03.03.2010 Barysau: lists of precincts published in limited circulation
The latest edition of Adzinstva, the newspaper of the Barysau district executive committee, contains decision #213 of the executive committee On establishment of precincts for the elections to the local Soviets of deputies of the 26th Convocation, adopted on 22 February.
03.03.2010 Activists of ‘Young Belarus’ summoned for interrogation
Artur Finkevich, the leader of the underground youth organization Young Belarus, was summoned by an investigator of the police department of the Minsk city executive committee for giving explanations on 3 March. The reason for the summons is the application of Illia Shcharbitski’s mother, who states that members of Young Belarus try to involve her son in unlawful destructive activities that can violate the public order.
03.03.2010 Babruisk KGB looking for foreign sponsors of elections
On 2 March Yury Hryniavetski, Chairperson of the Babruisk organization of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada, paid a visit to the local KGB department to which he was invited as a ‘person who knows about circumstances that are important for ensuring the national security’.
03.03.2010 Procuracy explains to Taisa Danilevich that teachers can have political convictions
M.Plinkevich, acting prosecutor of the Minsk oblast, answered the complain lodged by Natallia Illinich, a teacher from the secondary school in Talka, concerning politically motivated harassment from the side of Taisa Danilevich, Chairperson of the Minsk oblast education bureau.
03.03.2010 Chairperson of Central Election Commission ‘explains’ why collectors of signatures aren’t let in student dormitories
Democratic candidates and members of their initiative groups are banned from entering student dormitories. In particular, on 28 February it happened to members of the initiative group of Uladzimir Ramanovich.
03.03.2010 Vitsebsk oblast: only 1,75% of initiative groups collect signatures for members of political parties
Initiative groups for collecting electors’ signatures in support of candidates to the local Soviets of all levels were registered by less than a half out of the 15 party structures possessing the legal status in the Vitsebsk oblast.
03.03.2010 Chairperson of Babruisk town election commission is ‘not ready to answer questions’
On 21 December 2009 a session of the Babruisk Soviet of Deputies determined the new boundaries for election constituencies. The change was explained with construction of new suburbs, which resulted in migration of the electorate.
03.03.2010 Navapolatsk: ideologist pays interest to member of Belarusian Popular Front
Siarhei Brykun, main ideologist of the Palimir enterprise in Navapolatsk, demanded from the administration of a workshop to give a written testimonial about Uladzmir Kuntsevich, a member of the Belarusian Popular Party who nominated his candidacy to the Vitsebsk city Soviet of Deputies.
03.03.2010 Mahiliou: member of BSDP ‘Hramada’ banned from collecting signatures in student dormitory
Pretender to candidate Leanid Padbiaretski, member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada wasn’t let in dormitory #1 of Mahiliou State Universty named after A.Kuliashou where he intended to collect signatures in his support.
03.03.2010 Homel: initiative groups hold no pickets for collecting electors’ signatures
According to our information, no initiative groups have held any pickets for collecting electors’ signatures in support of the candidacy of their pretenders during the current election campaign. The potential candidates say that such pickets are inexpedient. For instance, Piatro Barysau, a well-known Homel lawyer who often detained democratic activists at court, registered an initiative group of seven persons who collect signatures from door to door. Barysau is going to run for the Homel city Soviet of Deputies at the Halavatskaya election constituency #39. ‘There is no sense in holding the pickets as the election constituencies are small and you can hardly meet an elector walking in the street with the passport,’ points Mr. Barysau. He is sure that 75 signatures (the minimum that is necessary for getting registered as a candidate to a city Soviet) can be collected without any pickets.
02.03.2010 UCP member put before ultimatum
The administration of the Mineral Wax Plant in the village of Svislach (the Pukhavichy district, the Minsk oblast) told to one of the employees: either you work or run in the elections.
02.03.2010 Vitsebsk: working collectives nominate candidates
The nomination of candidates to the local Soviets of Deputies by working collectives started in Vitsebsk. As a rule, working collectives nominate those who are supported by administrations of enterprises and state organs and authorities. During the recent years not a single independent or oppositional candidate has been nominated by a working collective.
02.03.2010 Orsha: observer cannot receive information about initiative groups
Actions of the territorial election commissions in the Orsha district raise doubts about the transparency of the election campaign.
02.03.2010 Election precincts: information from regions
According to the timing schedule of the elections to the local Soviets of Deputies of the 26th Convocation, the local administrations needed to establish by 23 February election precincts, determine their addresses and boundaries and publish this information within ten-day term.
02.03.2010 Mazyr: United Civil Party nominated ten persons to precinct commissions
On 28 November the Homel oblast organization of the United Civil Party nominated its representatives to precinct election commissions in the constituencies where UCP members intend to run. At the same sitting it was decided to nominate representatives of the Homel oblast organization of the United Civil Party to the sittings of the state organs responsible for the formation of polling station election commissions.
