No democrats in half of constituencies. Opposition calls to protest actions

Democratic candidates are not presented in 9 out of 20 constituencies of Minsk. The opposition calls on the international community not to recognise the “parliamentary election” legitimate and is ready to go to October Square of Minsk at 8.00 September 28 to demand new really free election.

The number of non-alternative constituencies, where one pro-governmental candidate runs, is growing in the country. There are 16 such constituencies now. The number of constituencies, where no democratic candidates run, is 35. Taking into account withdrawal of candidates of the European List from the “election”, which was announced on September 26, this figure may grow.

Scanty rate of representatives of the opposition political parties in polling station election commissions – only 47 people out of 70.000 (0.07 per cent) demonstrates that there will be no honest votes counting at this “election”, the opposition thinks.

Besides, the rate of non-registered democratic candidates is very high. 263 candidates run in the “election” today. It should be reminded that 365 people applied for registration. About 80 applicants weren’t registered, more than 20 withdrew from the “election” voluntary. The average rate of candidates per seat is 2.4 people. In 2000, when most of opposition institutions carried on active boycott of the “election”, this rate was 5.5 people. Observers note low interest of the Belarusians in the so called “election”.

Moreover, human rights activists have recorded a great number of violations during the early voting. Administrative leverage was used to make people vote early. It is remarkable that about t80 per cent of students, the least active part of electorate according to the world statistics, have votes early at many polling stations. Students were forced to vote early, threatened with expelling and depriving of place in a hostel. The opposition political parties noted in their special message the early voting was used by the Belarusian authorities only for rigging the voting results.

The opposition have used two kinds of tactics in the election campaign. Representatives of the civil initiative “European Belarus” and the Young Front stood for the boycott of the “election” from the very beginning. Later a number of candidates from democratic lists joined them and withdrew their candidatures. Many democratic candidates of the European List, who weren’t registered in the Central Election Commission, said they would withdraw protesting against numerous violation during the “election”. Opposition parties left a question on running or non-running in the “election” at the discretion of the candidates and recommend them to focus on revealing facts of falsification of the “election”. However, most of the democrats wrote a statement they consider this election as unfair and unfree and won’t recognise this “house of representatives”. The opposition has the only shared view: the “parliamentary election” can’t be recognised legitimate, and people should go to the Square on September 28.