Belarusian election commissions engaged in uncovered forgery?

Ryhor Hryk, Viktar Tsyapin, and Zmitser Auhust, who failed to be registered in local council member candidates in Baranavichy, filed complaints to the Brest region election commission on March 26–27.

Mikalai Charnavus and unregistered candidate Aleh Malashchanka are preparing similar complaints, “Human Rights Activists for Free Elections” reports.

The Baranavichy city district election commission didn’t register these people as candidates to the Baranavichy city council and Baranavichy region council on March 25. The commission found mistakes in signature lists. It should be noticed that only democratic representatives’ signature lists were checked.

Zmitser August, an independent candidate, director of Baranavichy-based firm “Andatra”, visited Nina Kopach, Anatol Tsikhanovich, Valyantsina Pivash, Tatsyana Blyakhnik, Lyudmila Shyshko, Ala Hansetskaya, whose signatures had allegedly been forged, and asked them how the check-up had been carried out. Zmitser Auhust took to the commission sitting written statements of the signatories who said the signatures and dates had been written by them. Independent candidate Zmitser Auhust showed a copy of the statement of Nina Kopach of 24.03.2010, copies of statement of Valyantsina Pivash and Lyudmila Shyshko of 25.03.2010, a copy of statement of Tatsyana Blyakhnik of 25.03.2010, a copy of statement of Ala Hansetskaya of 25.03.2010, a copy of statement of Anatol Tsikhanovich of 24.03.2010. The people write in the statements they support Zmitser Haiduk and deny information of the commission.

The independent candidate demanded that the statement should be considered by the commission. Even the central Election Commission proposed him to take these actions. However, the district commission refused to consider the statements. As proposed by chairman Yury Shertnyou, the commission voted against inclusion of Zmitser Auhust in the candidate list and refused to study the statements of citizens.

Zmitser August expressed his decisive dissent with the commission ruling and appealed to the Brest region election commission asking for a graphology examination of the signature lists and to cancel the ruling of the Baranavichy city election commission of March 25, 2010 and register him as a candidate to local council members.

Ryhor Hryk and Viktar Tsyapin filed similar complaints.

The three unregistered nominees for candidates are going to address the Central Election Commission (CEC) to recognize the activity of the commission and its head Yury Sharstnyou unsatisfactory and contradicting the Electoral Code of Belarus.

Observer in the Baranavichy city commission Syarhei Housha filed a complained to the CEC and a prosecutor’s office asking to examine the signature lists and signatures of the persons, whose statements were showed to the commission, and carry out a handwriting analysis of the documents. The observer also urges a prosecutor to take an appropriate legal decision and bring the people guilty in gross violation of the Constitution of Belarus (article 64) and article 49 Electoral Code of Belarus saying: “Persons preventing by violence, threats, fraud, bribery or in any other way the citizen of the Republic of Belarus from his/her right to participate or not to participate in elections, […] and members of commissions, officials of state bodies and public associations and other persons who have committed a fraud of documents on elections […] or who have made other violations of the requirements of the present Code and other acts of legislation of the Republic of Belarus on elections […] shall bear responsibility established by the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.” As nominees for candidates were unlawfully not registered as candidates due to forgery by the commission, Syarhei Housha insists that the CEC must obliged the district commission to reconsider its unlawful ruling and register the abovementioned persons as candidates to local council members.

The observer attaches copies of signatory’s statements, who say the signatures and dates in signature lists were written down by them.