Election Commission Chairman: You are nobody, so shut up your mouth!

Yesterday Iryna Smyayan-Semyaniuk, a member of the Belarusian Popular Front party, who had been put on the precinct commission #104 of Maskouski district of Minsk, attended the first session.

After the session she shared her impressions with “Human Rights Activists for Free Election”:

“When I came to school where the commission gathered, the schoolmaster and members of the commission were waiting for me already. The agenda was: 1. Election of the chairman; 2. Election of the deputy chairman of the commission; 3. Election of the secretary. The first part of the session was conducted by an official from the administration of Maskouski district. The chairman was elected: 11 were in favour, 1 against, 0 abstained form the vote.

Then the elected chairman of the commission presided over the session. He proposed for consideration the second question. 11 persons supported it, and he said that it was supported unanimously. I said: “Why unanimously? I abstained from vote, and according to the rules you must ask who is in favour, who against, and who abstained. But he answered that I am nobody, and I must shut up my mouth. I said calmly that according to the Electoral Code the decision is passed on a collegiate basis, and he should not say rude things. It turned out that he thought that I would be admitted to the commission by them. I explained that I had become the member of the commission already, and such a decision is made by the administration of Maskouski district, not by them. The woman from the administration confirmed that.

When the third question was considered, I offered my candidature, but everyone votes for a person offered by the chairman. So they have a kind of get-together there: the Belarusian Republican Youth Union, Belaya Rus, the Red Cross, the Union of Women, two persons nominated through collection of signatures, and teachers: they know each other for a long time, they had been working for a long time together.

To the question when the second session would be held, the chairman said: “It will be held when I will appoint it.” I asked to call me and notify me.”