Belarusian authorities recruits army of “their observers”

The basic instructions for “friendly observers” include complete neutralization of international observers.

Chairmen of precinct commissions have been given a task to form teams of observers. The latter are taught how to resist “curious” journalist and observers during vote counting at the polling stations, how to neutralize a special opinion of observers.

“Human Rights Activists For Free Elections” have been told about that by an observer from the Belarusian Popular Front “Adradzhennye” (Revival) Valyantsina Svyatskaya who attended a seminar –training for chairmen of precinct commission of Maskouski district of Minsk on November 30.

It was held by the deputy chairman of Maskouski district commission Alyaksandr Kudzyarmayeu, who is the head of the organizational and personnel management department of Maskouski district administration, and other members of the commission.

When the situation with international observers was discussed, Kudzyarmayeu recommended “better not to let them in to the polling station, if he arrived 5 minutes before the end of voting”, and “they have nothing to do near the commission and near the premises after 8 p.m.” Instead of that the foreign guest should be demonstrated “our hospitality: he should be invited for a cup of coffee or tea…”

Alyaksandr Kudzyarmayeu ordered “to register all observers”, but added: “if an observer is interested by lists – do not give any information; everything will be available in the end of voting.”

Special attention was paid to the finish of voting. After 8 p.m. there should be order at the polling station, and it should look like this, according to the leader of the training: observers must know their place, and every member of the commission should know “what they are doing.”

“Any attempts of observers who want to stand up and stand in a circle around the table, must be prevented. Even when they say “show us each ballot paper,” Kudzyarmayeu taught.

“The most important thing is not to talk with each other. You must be silent!” the instruction is quoted by Svyatskaya.

A little bit later this member of the territorial election commission gave one more piece of advice on vote counting: “Ballot papers in favour of a candidate who is expected to be the leader, should be divided between several persons. No one would understand how many people had cast a vote for them. If each member of the commission would count candidates separately, a stack would be visible. And in such a case all stacks would be equal. And no one would see how many votes each candidate had. Only the chairman of the commission would be able to add up everything exactly.”

Thus, all observers were divided into categories: international observers, simply observers and “our observers.”

As the observer from the BPF found out in the end of the training, having read the list on nomination of observers to electoral precincts, “our observers” should represent pro-regime public associations “Belaya Rus”, the Belarusian Republican Youth Union, the Belarusian Women’s Union, or representatives of labour collectives and citizens. There are at least 10 of them at each electoral precinct.