Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections

Today, the chairman of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski, Chair of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak and member of Viasna’s Board Uladzimir Labkovich met with representatives of the OSCE ODIHR election monitoring assessment mission – Mr. Vladimir Misev, OSCE/ODIHR Election Adviser, and Ms. Tatyana Bogussevich, OSCE/ODIHR Senior Election Adviser.

According to BelaPAN, at its today’s meeting the Central Election Commission (CEC) has registered three initiative groups for nominating presidential candidates: the incumbent President Aliaksandr Lukashenka, Chairman of the Belarusian Party of the Left "Fair World" Siarhei Kaliakin and Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Siarhei Haidukevich.

The official website of the Baranavičy city executive committee has published a decision “On the definition of places prohibited for picketing in order to collect signatures for the nomination of candidates for the President of Belarus."

The Biaroza district executive committee has expanded the number of places prohibited for picketing in order to collect voters' signatures for the nomination of presidential candidates.

The executive authorities of Salihorsk and Niasviž districts have banned the collection of signatures for future potential presidential candidates in most crowded places.

The Central Election Commission is expected to consider at a meeting tomorrow afternoon applications of seven persons who announced their intention to run for the President, as well as the issue of registration of voters’ initiative groups.

Local executive authorities in Babrujsk, Dobruš, Hlybokaje districts and the Viciebsk region have announced restrictions on campaigning events in the territory of these districts.

The Viciebsk district executive committee has announced the places which will be prohibited for holding pickets to collect signatures for the nomination of presidential candidates.

The list of venues where campaigning for the nomination of presidential candidates will be forbidden includes Lenin Square; the territory of the Brest Fortress memorial complex and railway facilities.

So far, only two representatives of democratic parties and one NGO member have been nominated to the territorial election commission in Baranavičy.

After selecting their nominees, the political parties active in Babrujsk are now deciding whether they should be nominated to the territorial or precinct election commissions.

A number of issues related to the upcoming elections was discussed at today's meeting of the management of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the representatives of the assessment mission of the OSCE ODIHR.

In Babruisk, there seems to be no interest to the presidential election at all, also among the local media. There are no electoral posters and banners on the streets, which could inform Babrujskers about the beginning of the electoral campaign.

Minsk City Executive Committee has determined the places banned for picketing in order to collect voters' signatures for nomination of candidates for President of the Republic of Belarus in Minsk.

In its report on the results of the observation of the first week of the presidential election campaign, the public election observation campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" has already noted that the provisions of the Electoral Code that prohibit calling for a boycott of the elections are contrary to the Convention of the Commonwealth of Independent States "On Standards of Democratic Elections, Electoral Rights and Freedoms".