Will BPF withdraw its candidates from “elections”?

A resolution about a possible withdrawal from the “parliamentary electors” if the regime continues repressions against candidates of the party and democratic activists was adopted at the extraordinary congress of the Belarusian Popular Front party on August 9.

Right after the congress the deputy chairman of the BPF party Viktar Ivashkevich told what the resolution was about:

“We have formulated conditions under which the BPF party won’t take part in the elections. In the resolution we enumerated facts of repressions against our activists during the “elections campaign” =: dismissals, arrest, summons and interrogations in the KGB. We stated that the Popular Front can stop participation in unjust and non-transparent campaign of the “parliamentary elections” and inform Belarusian and international community about that widely, in case new facts of discrimination and pressure on the party members would have place; and if in the precincts where party members run, BPF activists or other parties of the United Democratic Forces won’t become members of electoral commissions. The BPF has nominated 300 candidates for electoral commissions, and if they will become members of the commissions, it would show that the regime is getting ready for rigging election results. Representatives of the BPF are to be registered candidates for deputies as well,” Viktar Ivashekvisch said.

On August 30 the leadership of the BPF party is to hold consultations where the final decision about participation in the “elections” is to be adopted.

“We didn’t announce boycott at once, as our activists wanted to work with voters, to try hand, to analyze actions of the regime and to be convinced that the regime doesn’t make it possible to carry out a normal electoral campaign. Rigging the results of the Belarusian citizens’ will expression is the major problem. That is why including democrats in precinct election commissions, where rigging is taking place, is very important. If democrats won’t become members of the precinct elections commissions, votes of people won’t be count. And then gathering on the square is a real alternative to going to a polling station. A voice can be heard on the square,” told the deputy chairman of the BPF party right after the congress.

As we have informed, only 3% of nominated representatives of democratic parties have become members of precinct electoral commissions: 47 persons out of 1,500 candidates. It is just 0.07% of the total number of electoral commissions’ members.