Boycott-2008
Parliamentary “elections” are to be held in Belarus in autumn 2008. In the connection with tightening of political repressions in the country, unwillingness of the regime to liberalise the electoral legislation, as well as with the fact that since 1996 all elections and referendums in Belarus have been recognised as unfree and nondemocratic by international organisations, Zmitser Bandarenka, coordinator of Charter’97, has addressed the democratic forces with a proposal to boycott the elections.
Topic: Boycott-2008
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17:57 5 days in prison for “Boycott!” graffiti 1
The Maskouski district court of Brest sentenced Young Front activists Yauhen Skrabets and Mikhail Illin to 5 days of arrest.
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17:43 EU to decide the issue about the sanctions against Lukashenka after September 28 12
After judging the course of the “parliamentary elections” in Belarus, the European Union is ready to review the sanctions against Belarusian officials, and to increase assistance to the country. It is said in the statement of foreign ministers of the EU countries adopted at the session on September 15 in Brussels.
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16:54 Yarmoshyna hopes to leave for Paris after “election” 43
Statements saying ban for entry the EU may be lifted for Belarusian officials have been heard often for the last time. Officials begin to make plans.
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15:46 Summons to the court on “extremism” charges get widespread 1
On the weekend Yauhen Skarabutan, a young activist from Zelva, and a member of the United Civil Party from Hrodna have received summons to the court of Hrodna for September 18.
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14:42 Zyanon Paznyak: Nobody to go to false “elections”! 39
The leader of the Conservative Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front has made a statement urging to boycott the “parliamentary elections” on September 28.
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12:34 Skrabets arrested for leaflets about “elections” boycott
Today night young activists Mikhail Illin and Yauhen Skrabets were detained in Brest.
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11:32 On Homel’s City Day police beaten up young people for national flags
During the official events dedicated to Homel’s City Day, when the 866th anniversary of the city was celebrated, Young Front activists raised white-red-white flags.
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10:47 Handcuffed for distribution of independent press
When distributing the latest publication of the independent newspaper “Svabodny Salihorsk” in the central market of the city, a volunteer of the newspaper, an activist of the “Young Front” Andrys tychyna was detained unreasonably.
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9:57 Voters ask Lyabedzka to withdraw from “election”: “We will demonstrate our vote at Square” 6
A letter from a dweller of Staravilenski Minsk constituency #105 was sent to the head of the United Civil Party.
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15:09 Sikorski had meeting with Martynau: “Belarusian samogon and bison’s liver are very interesting experience” 30
Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski had a meeting with head of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affaires Syarhei Martynau in Viskuli at night September 12.
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19:12 Graffiti «Yarmoshyna lies» appeared in Minsk (Photo) 5
Streamers “Boycott to elections!” and graffiti “Yarmoshyna lies” have appeared in Minsk.
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16:01 Apartment of opposition activist who announced boycott to elections robbed 4
On September 11 the unknown broke into the apartment of a public activist Halina Yubko.
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15:34 Yarmoshyna, banned entry to EU, hopes for recognition of “election” 16
Head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna hopes that “parliamentary election” in Belarus will be recognised by the international society.
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14:28 Going all the way 31
Leaders of a number of oppositional parties and Alyaksandr Milinkevich’s movement have stated at a press-conference in Minsk that the “election” planned for September 28, won’t be free and democratic, and called upon the international community not to recognize its results. Most of the press conference participants believe they should go all the way in this process.
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13:32 Boycott in Minsk, Brest and Smalyavichy
Activists of the Young Front youth organisation call on the Belarusians to boycott the “parliamentary election”.
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8:21 Belarusians don’t trust Lukashenka and declare mass boycott of “election” (Photo) 8
On September 11, after visiting the General Prosecutor’s office about 40 citizens from different districts of the country declared boycott to “parliamentary election” and called on everyone who had suffered from arbitrary behaviour of officials to join this action. These people adopted an appropriate address.
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13:54 Regime persecutes candidate who announced boycott
A member of a constituency election commission Alyaksandr Krautsou is set to lodge a complaint against the chairman of the Council of Homel regional branch of the Belarusian Popular Front party Valery Putsitsky who stated he would withdraw his candidature from the race.
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8:55 Salash fined for libeling precinct commission
On September 10 in Barysau a trial over a member of the Belarusian Popular Front party Syarzhuk Salash was held. Regime’s representatives have charged him with libeling.
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14:35 New election will be the only demand of Belarusians at Square on September 28 (Photo, video) 16
The opposition mustn’t run in the election farce called “parliamentary election”. Without participation of oppositionists in precinct election commissions, votes of Belarusians will be stolen. In order to defend their vote, people should gather on September 28 to Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk at 8 p.m., stated at today’s press-conference in Minsk leaders of the Belarusian opposition.
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12:18 Pro-regime mass media fling mud at businessmen 3
Court proceedings in a case of state newspaper “Nash Kraj” Mikalay Khudzenka and the newspaper itself have been postponed again in Baranavichy.
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12:07 Administration of Mahilou university agitating for authorities’ candidate 1
A meeting with MP candidates in the Mahilou Central constituency was held in Mahilou State University on September 9. But only one candidate, Alyaksandr Yushkevich, who was a deputy in Krycahu before, attended the meeting.
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10:28 Number of places for meeting with voters is pared down to the bone
The district election commission of Homel central election constituency No. 33 has chosen places for meetings of candidates with their voters. There are only two of them: the conference hall of unitary enterprise “Regional trade union association educational and instructional support centre” and a conference hall of a housing property management in Klyankouski micro-district.
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8:50 Oppositional candidates not allowed to tell that regime tells untruth 7
The editor-in-chief of Rechytsa regional newspaper “Dnyaprovets” offered a candidate for deputy Leanid Nevar to rework his election speech prepared for publication in a newspaper.
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8:38 Court in Barysau: members of election commissions against opposition activist
On September 10 the case of an unregistered candidate for deputy of the “chamber of representatives” in Barysau rural constituency No. 63 Syarhei Salash is to be considered in Barysau regional court. He is charged with violation of Article 9.2 of the Administrative Code of Belarus.
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18:19 Opposition representatives to hold press conference September 10 4
A press conference Activity of Democratic Forces after Refusal of the Authorities to include Opposition Figures into Election Commissions is to take place in the BPF office, 8 Maserau Str (former Varvasehni Str) at 11 am on Wednesday, September 10.
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16:51 Boycott in specific constituency 1
MP candidate in 34th Homel constituency Vasil Palyakou, who refused to run in the “election”, carries out a campaign of boycotting the “election”. At the very beginning militia seized 1338 leaflets from the oppositionist.
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16:28 Supreme Court: Pardon of Kazulin doesn’t provide for cancellation of conviction 5
On September 9 at a press-conference, commenting on a possibility of participation of the former candidate for presidency A. Kazulin in the election, the chairman of the Supreme Court Valyantsin Sukala said that the decree of pardon to Alyaksandr Kazulin signed by Lukashenka, doesn’t’ provide for correction of punishment and cancellation of conviction.
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15:46 Dzyanis Sadouski: “It’s not election but circus”
MP candidate, representative of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, Dzyanis Sadouski will hold agitation pickets in spite of refusal of the Minsk city executive committee.
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14:56 Alyaksandr Milinkevich: “It’s very important for us to build dialog between EU and regime” 68
“Policy shouldn’t be primitive like struggle for moral values. I stand for reducing 12 conditions of the European Commission to three ones,” leader of the “For Freedom” movement Alyaksandr Milinkevich said.
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12:41 MP candidate detained during his speech on TV 8
Kanstantin Zhukouski, representative of the Belarusian Christian democracy party, MP candidate in Buda-Kashalyova constituency (the Homel region) was guarded to the local militia department and was denied an opportunity of shooting propaganda video on the Homel Regional TV.
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11:41
Regime hasn’t fulfilled demands of democratic forces. There won’t be elections
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By postponing adoption of the decision on participation or non-participation in the “parliamentary elections”, the oppositional parties offered the authorities “to improve the situation” and to man up the district elections commissions with oppositionists before September 8.
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11:37 Is Lazavik aware that oppositionists are arrested for stickers “Boycott”?
Activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Ivan Amelchanka and Syarhei Makarevich have spent behind the bars 12 hours, which contradicts the law. In the night the young men who were detained for dissemination of stickers “Boycott” were transported from one police department to another.
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15:35 Christian democrats call to boycott “election” in response to repressions 2
On September 8, Dzyanis Sadouski, an executive secretary of the organising committee on creation Belarusian Christian Democracy NGO, said BCD MP candidates would call on people not to go to polling stations in the response to repressions.
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14:45 Barysau authorities breaking agitation of opposition candidates 3
Editor-in-chief of independent “Borisovskie Novosti” newspaper Anatol Bukas said the local authorities were upsetting the agitation campaign.
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14:14 Issue of recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia’s independence to be considered by the new “parliament” (Video) 9
It has been stated by A. Lukashenka at the press-conference for journalists of Russian provincial mass media.
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13:05 Police Against Boycott of “Elections”
Today police detained activists of the United Civil party Natalya Shchukina and Alyaksandr Protska. They were handing out leaflets with the appeal to citizens not to take part in the “parliamentary elections”.
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12:30 Financial pressing on opposition leaders goes on 4
Zmitser Bandarenka, coordinator of Charter’97, is required to provide information about his residence in 1990ies to the tax office.
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11:04 Sound cut off for candidate for appeal not to take part in early vote 1
On September 5 addresses of candidates for deputies in Vitsebsk Chyhunachny constituency No. 19 were televised by Vitsebsk regional TV on “Lad” channel.
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11:00 Liberalisation in Lukashenka’s style: Young Front activist arrested for 15 days 1
The authorities continue to use mean methods of pressing the political opposition. If earlier democratic activists were arrested on false accusations of allegedly “using of foul language in public”, an article “drinking alcohol in public” has been used for the first time against Young Front activist Vadzim Khanyauka.
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10:39 “European Belarus” activists spent 12 hours under detention for “Boycott” stickers (updated)
Activists of the “European Belarus” civil campaign Ivan Amelchanka and Syarhei Makarevich were detained in the Minsk center for spreading stickers calling to boycott the oncoming “parliamentary election” yesterday.
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14:53
Andrei Sannikov: «Games of the West have already brought to ruin its policy towards Russia”
“We are being put under pressure to take part in the electoral farce, so that the US and Europe could have a chance to recognize Lukashenka, that is, the West is substituting notions, and instead of basic notions and principles of democracy and human rights is trying to play some kind of game,” stated one of the leaders of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Andrei Sannikov in an interview to the Voice of America.
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18:52 Arrests and searches of participants of election boycott campaign 3
An apartment of Young Front activist Dzyanis Karnou has been searched today. Information materials calling to boycott the oncoming “parliamentary election” have been seized.
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17:22 Student expelled from university for intention to take part in elections 1
An activist of the organisation “Belarusian Christian Democracy” Tatsyana Shambalava is to be expelled from Mahilyou (Kulyashou) State University.
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16:51 For interrogation in KGB by force? 2
Militia officers detained Young Front activist Vadzim Khanyauka.
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16:00 Andrei Kim: “All democratic candidates must withdraw from election” 3
Former political prisoner Andrei Kim thinks the oncoming “presidential election” won’t be free and democratic, if the authorities don’’ liberalise the election laws.
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15:22 US Diplomat advises oppositional parties to take part in the electoral farce to the end 20
US Charge d’Affaires a.i. Jonathan Moore believes that boycott of the elections by political parties could cost them their political future.
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12:14 Ministry of Information ordered destroy leaflets of “For Freedom” movement
Opposition activist Ales Shpakouski was detained by militia in summer, when he was distributing leaflets “For Freedom” at an Orsha market.
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11:41 One of leaders of Union of Poles in Belarus detained in Hrodna 4
Mechyslau Yaskevich, deputy head of the Union of Poles in Belarus, was detained by militia and guarded to the Kastrychnitski district militia department on September 4.
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11:26 Aleh Hulak: “Vast majority of refusals of registration have formal grounds”
Chairman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak, observing a process of considering of complaints in the Central Election Commission, noted that shortcomings of the election laws were revealed during the consideration:
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10:10 “European Belarus” activist arrested for “Vybor” newspaper 1
Activist of the “European Belarus” civil campaign Yakau Perchyk was detained in Hrodna for distributing of “Vybor” newspaper yesterday. Newspaper was dedicated to boycott of the oncoming “parliamentary election”.
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