Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections

The director of the 1st mining plant administration of Belaruskali Aliaksandr Harbachou, who had been forcing his employees to vote, now chairs precinct commission №24 in Salihorsk.

The early voting started at the elections of President of the Republic of Belarus started on October 6 in conformity with the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus.

Today, “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” started receiving e-mail letters witnessing the forcing of students to early voting and the related release from classes on Thursday, Friday and next Monday.

Vadzim Kuzmin is an observer with much experience. This is not the first electoral campaign observed by him.

Viciebsk members of the Conservative-Christian Party “Belarusan Popular Front” filed applications for 21 pickets. All three district executive committees of Viciebsk banned the actions.

Only 2 out of 75 members of precinct election commission № 117, 131, 134, 136 and 140 are not employees of "Mahilioŭchimvalakno” (“Mahilioŭ Chemical Fiber”).

September 5, the Kryčaŭ District Election Commission held a sitting, at which the question of preparedness for the elections in the Kryčaŭ district was discussed.

Observation of the election of the President of Belarus is carried out by activists of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center "Viasna" in the framework of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections".

During the election campaign, Mahilioŭ was visited by just two presidential candidates: Mikalai Ulakhovich and the nominee of the campaign “Tell the Truth” Tatsiana Karatkevich. Neither Aliaksandr Lukashenka, not Siarhei Haidukevich came to Mahilioŭ.

A training for chairpersons and members of precinct election commissions, entitled "Free and democratic elections - transparent procedures" was held in Kalinkavičy by the district election commission.

As reported by a worker, the management of the Mahilioŭ plant "Mahilioŭchimvalakno" (“"Mahilioŭ Chemical Fiber”) proposed its workers to work during the five days of early election, held on October 6 -10.

As reported by the picket organizer, Chair of the Brest city organization of the Belarusian Leftist Party "Fair World" Liudmila Dzenisenka, the official reason for the ban is that a picket of supporters of the presidential candidate Tatsiana Karatkevich will take place in Savieckaja Street.

Baranavičy civil society activist Ryhor Hryk refused to hold his picket for free and democratic elections without forcing and rigging, which he intended to hold on October 4 and which was allowed by the city authorities.

October 2, an activist of the United Civil Party Siarhei Kasabutski was detained near the department store “Homieĺ” while handing out invitations to an electoral meeting.

In the afternoon on October 1 near the Botanical Garden in Minsk, police detained the activists of the Movement "For Freedom" Aliaksandr Osipau with the billboard of the campaign “People's Referendum” and the spokesman of the movement Volha Bykouskaya.