Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections

Today, members of the initiative group of Anatol Liabedzka, leader of the United Civil Party running for President, were not allowed to collect signatures for the registration of the UCP leader as a presidential candidate by security guards of the Minsk-based market Ždanovičy.

Human rights activist Siarhei Housha has complained to the Brest Regional Executive Committee against the district executive committee and the District Council of Deputies, which did not allow him to attend a joint meeting of the two bodies that formed the district election commission.

The Homieĺ Regional Court considered today a complaint by Uladzimir Siakerka, local leader of the Belarusian Party of the Left "Fair World", against the Presidium of the Regional Executive Committee and the Regional Council of Deputies who refused to include in the regional election commission a representative of the party Viktar Khomich.

Pavel Levinau had been delegated two groups of voters, who wanted to see him among the members of the Pieršmajski district election commission and the Viciebsk regional election commission.

On Friday, July 17, a representative of the BPF in Maladziečna, Volha Lahvinovich, brought the documents for nomination to the territorial election commission (TEC) of the party representatives and could not find anyone to whom they should be submitted.

July 23 is the first day of collecting signatures by initiative groups of the presidential candidates.

Of the nine nominated representatives of the opposition parties only three will work in the territorial commissions of Minsk. Dzmitry Kaspiarovich (BPF) – Minsk city election commission, Yury Suares (the Party "Fair World") – the Saviecki district election commission, and Nadzeya Shomchanka (the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Hramada) – the Zavodski district election commission.

Maryna Adamovich, the wife of political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, who is his legal representative and the head of the initiative group for his nomination as a presidential candidate, filed yesterday an appeal in the Supreme Court against the CEC's refusal to register the initiative group. The CEC decision was adopted on 20 July.

Leanid Svetsik, representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee in Viciebsk, was not allowed to attend today’s first meeting of the Kastryčnicki district election commission, after deputy chairman of the Viciebsk city executive committee Piotr Padhurski said that his presence was not ‘welcome’.

The website of the Babrujsk city executive committee has published a full list of members of the two district election commissions in the city. The vast number of TEC members are people who have worked in the commissions during the previous election campaigns.

The website of the administration of Homieĺ’s Čyhunačny district has posted, in addition to the official information of the start of the campaign and the creation of the district election commission, an announcement about the public reception service of the NGO “Belaya Rus”.

The joint meeting of the Presidium of the Mahilioŭ Regional Council and the Regional Executive Committee was attended by local human rights activist Barys Bukhel.

The Žodzina city election commission, whose composition was approved on July 21 in just 17 minutes, will have only one new member, Yauheniya Milchenia, an employee of local social protection service, who was nominated by a group of citizens.

Maryna Adamovich, the wife of political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, and head of his campaign team, argues that the refusal to register his initiative violates the Electoral Code.

The formation of the Salihorsk district election commission followed a completely predictable scenario, says local representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Leanid Markhotka, who attended the meeting.