News on the topic: local council elections-2010
16.02.2010 Orsha authorities propose seeking information on elections at web-site with unknown address
As Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections have already informed, the Orsha leaders of political parties have complained to a number of state organs against not being informed about the time and place of the joint sitting of the Orhsa district executive committee and the presidium of the Orsha district Soviet of Deputies, at which the decision on forming the district territorial commission on elections was adopted. According to the innovations in the Election Code, the organizations that had nominated their representatives to the commissions have the right to take part in such sittings.
15.02.2010 Pickets in populous places are banned throughout Belarus
One of the novelties in the election legislation this year is that the state officials have to officially determine the places where picketing for collection of signatures in support of pretenders to candidates should be banned.
15.02.2010 Constituencies formed without law violations only in one district of Vitsebsk oblast
In Vitsebsk oblast, the forming by the district territorial election commissions of the constituencies for the elections to the district Soviets of Deputies of the 26th Convocations came to an end. The district newspapers published the lists of election constituencies including their numbers, names, boundaries, number of electors and location of election commissions. The number of constituencies ranges from 25 to 40, which corresponds to the legal requirements.
15.02.2010 Babruisk: democratic activists learn about their non-inclusion in commissions from newspaper
In Babruisk, seven members of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party were nominated to election commissions through collection of signatures. None of them were included in the commissions.
15.02.2010 Mahiliou: inaccuracies in determination of boundaries of election constituencies
Many inaccuracies were found in the description of the election constituencies published in the Mahiliouskiya Vedamastsi newspaper.
15.02.2010 Barysau: electors are kept in the dark
In Barysau district, electors still haven’t been informed about the decision of the Barysau district executive committee (DEC) on determining the places prohibited for collecting signatures in support of candidates to the local Soviets of Deputies. On 12 February the officials managed to show Mikhail Vasiliieu, leader of the Barysau organization of the United Civil Paty, only a copy of the appropriate document without the signature of Uladzimir Miranovich, Chairpers of the Barysau DEC.
15.02.2010 Mazyr: election commissions don’t work on first day of registration of initiative groups
In Mazyr, election commissions didn’t work on 14 February, the first day of registration of the initiative groups of candidates to the local Soviets of Deputies according to the time schedule of the Central Election Commission. The requirements of the Election Code were ignored by the officials responsible for the operating schedule of the Mazyr district election commission.
12.02.2010 Homel: member of constituency commission complains to Chairperson of Central Election Commission about non-democratic election of the commission administration
Leanid Sudalenka, member of the Uladzimirskaya constituency election commission #11 on elections to the Homel oblast Soviet of Deputies, addressed Lidziya Yarmoshyna, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, concerning the non-democratic election of Chariperson, Deputy Chairperson and Secretary of his commission.
12.02.2010 Svetlahorsk: information about elections available only by subscription
In Svetlahorsk district, official information about the preparation to the elections to the local Soviets of Deputies is published in the state-owned newspapers that are distributed only by subscription. The electors who aren’t subscribed to these newspapers can find them only in the libraries.
12.02.2010 ‘Ideologizing elections’ in Mahiliou
On 9 February Elections as a factor of civil society development, a seminar for Mahiliou ideologists, took place marking the beginning of the Country in the run-up to the elections, a joint project held by the ideological department of the Mahiliou city executive committee and the Mahiliou informational-ideological center and the ‘state NGO’ Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM). The project is destined for ‘informing the population about the pace of the election campaign and increasing its informational, political and legal culture’.
11.02.2010 Homel: democratic activists are not elected chairs of election commissions
Lawyer Leanid Sudalenka, activist of the United Civil Party, said in an interview to RFE/RL that only ideologists were elected commission Chairpersons.
11.02.2010 Hrodna: parties appeal against non-inclusion of their representatives in constituency election commissions
The Hrodna oblast organization of the United Civil Party appeals at the Hrodna oblast court against the violation of its right to be represented at constituency commissions. The party members require a review of the decision on forming the constituency commissions on elections to the Hrodna oblast Soviet of Deputies.
11.02.2010 Homel oblast: who constitutes the minority in constituency commissions?
In Homel oblast, only 1-2% members of constituency election commissions belong to opposition parties or NGOs that are not founded and or/supported by the state. For instance, the United Civil Party has 1% representation among 780 members of the 60 constituency commissions, the Belarusian party of United Leftists Fair World – 2% and ‘disloyal’ NGOs – 1%. The pro-governmental Communist Party of Belarus got a bit more – 3%.
11.02.2010 Baranavichy: legal existence of Belarusian Language Society is under threat
On 10 February, the Baranavichy Council of the Belarusian Language Society filed with Viktar Dzichkouski, Chairman of the Baranavichy city executive committee, a repeated letter informing that all documents necessary for changing the legal address of the local BLS organization had been presented to the CEC more than a month ago, but no answer was received in the legal terms.
11.02.2010 Brest: Ivan Stasiuk is issued a warning for activity on behalf of unregistered organization
Ivan Stasiuk, a member of the international youth organization Young Front registered in Czech, was issued an official warning for activities on behalf of unregistered organization. The activist was summoned to the Brest oblast procuracy for 9 a.m. on 11 February, and was required to give explanations.
