Derisive amendments

Changes in the electoral code offered by the CEC have a cosmetic nature.

On October 20 at the meeting with Alyaksandr Lukashenka the chair of the Central Election Committee Lidziya Yarmoshyna said about changes planned to the electoral code. Thus, it is planned that a norm, according to which to nominate its candidate for deputy seat in a constituency a political party should have a registered structure at the territory of the constituency, would be annulled. Attesting signature sheets by executive committees before giving them to the Central Election Committee would not be demanded. The list of reasons for which a prospective deputy or a presidential candidate can be denied registration should be defined more exactly. Besides, at the nearest local elections the barrier of voters turnout will be lifted. Local elections would be declared valid with any number of voters. Voter’s turnout remains for parliamentary and presidential campaigns.

It has been also stated that candidates will receive a possibility to buy additional air time on television and radio, organize meetings with voters, rent premises, and publish additional promotional materials.

As “European Belarus” website writes, it is obvious that these insignificant changes would be “sold” to the West as a considerable breakthrough in the sphere of political “liberalization”. And some offered changes could be even viewed as potential democratic candidates as openly derisive.

Thus, it is offered to allow candidates to form electoral fund from their own funds, and money of sponsors, except for state enterprises, foreign campaigns and citizens.

However examples of Anatol Krasouski, Andrei Klimau, Uladzimir Kudzinau and other businessmen who dared to enter the political struggle, show too eloquently how the regime punishes for financial support of the opposition, and in a benefit of whom “voluntary” donations would be made.

It should be noted that starting from 2008, oppositional parties representatives many times addressed the authorities with concrete proposals on changing the electoral code. However, the demands of the oppositional parties were not taken into consideration. No significant amendments are planned. The key part of the electoral code concerning vote count and control over them remains unchanged.

It must be said that the CEC head Lidziya Yarmoshyna admits that. She stated that al the changes in the electoral code would have cosmetic nature, and won’t influence the practice of applying this law.

“One should understand that the amendments which have been announced in no way change the existing system of rigging elections results. I expect publication of the announced changes and adoption of the law without any optimism. So far there are no signs that these changes answer the crucial issues of control over votes count, representation of political forces in the electoral commissions, pressure during the early vote. Anyway, no matter what changes are there, one would be able to say that the elections are free only after the first democratic election. The key role here belongs to the will of the state to hold free elections,” the lawyer of the human rights centre “Viasna” Uladzimir Labkovich said.