CEC’s enjoys a small triumph: only 8 appeals out of 51 are granted

The CEC has finished considering appeals of contenders denied registration as candidates for deputies. Only 8 appeals have been granted over the two days. The deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front party Vintsuk Vyachorka, the leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikalay Statkevich, the head of Minsk regional branch of the BPF party Syarhei Salash haven’t been registered.

Appeals of one of the leaders of entrepreneurs Alyaksandr Makaeu, opposition activsits Yury Karetnikau, Mikalay Ulasevich, Iryna Veshtrord, Mikalay Kijko and others haven’t been granted.

As we have informed, yesterday the CEC considered 30 appeals against denials to register candidates for deputies of the “chamber of representatives”, who had been running in election districts of Brest, Homel, Vitsebsk, Hrodna, and Mahilyou and Minsk districts. As a result of consideration of appeals the CEC decided to register only 5 candidates: an entrepreneur Iryna Yaskevich, a member of the party of Communists of Belarus Mikhail Syalivonets, an editor of the newspaper “Barisovskiye novosti” Anatol Bukas, non-party an editor of the newspaper “Barisovskiye novosti” Anatol Bukas, non-party Yury Rubtsou and Ivan Shcharbakou.

Today 20 more appeals have been considered. 3 of them have been granted, of a nonparty Volha Shykhantosva, a leader of unregistered Party of Freedom and progress Uladzimir Navasyad and one more contender whose name is unknown.

The case of consideration of an appeal of Ales Lahvinets, an activist of “For Freedom” movement, is illustrative. After Lahvinets was denied registration, the CEC chair Yarmoshyna said: “No one should ever lecture the CEC. It costs dearly”.

In this way the CEC head reacted to criticism of the opposition activist. “I stated that the denials of the CEC to provide information on voting on every district of the constituency contradict normal legal practice. They said it is not stipulated by the Electoral Code. But the Constitution grants access to information. The basic legal principle in nay state is that everything which is not prohibited, is allowed. And our CEC and the state are living according to the principle: everything which is not allowed, is forbidden,” Lahvinets said.

According to human rights activists, the per cents of democratic candidates at the parliamentary elections who have been denied registration is too high. After submitting applications it has become known that out of 365 persons who applied for registration as candidates, 76 persons failed to be registered. It makes 25% of the total number of contenders. The number of opposition activists denied registration is about 50.

“This per cent is too high. Every third has been denied registration at this election. Judging by the percent of unregistered democratic candidates, we cannot speak about the democratic character of the “electoral process”. There are 2.5 candidates per constituency in Belarus now, it is a ridiculously little number. In 12 constituencies there will be non-alternative election as for today. But considering the fact that the BPF is set to withdraw its candidates before September 23, and Homel democrats have withdrawn already, it is obvious that there will be much more non-alternative constituencies,” the Charter’97 press-centre was told by Vice President of the International Human Rights federation Ales Byalatski.

As we have informed, on August 30 the Sojm (Council) of the Belarusian Popular Front party decided to withdraw party candidates for deputies before September 23. The reason is mass violations of the electoral law by the regime, and absence of free elections in the country. Other oppositionists are to decide on their participation in the elections on September 21.

Photo: on the left- one of the leaders of businessmen Alyaksandr Makaeu, on the right- a CEC member