Give us new election! (Photo, video)
- 29.09.2008, 0:14
Protest actions against rigging of the results of the “parliamentary election” were held in Minsk today. The Belarusian opposition calls the election farce and urges the international community not to recognise the new “house of representatives” as legitimate body. Demonstrators in the Minsk center demanded new free elections.
The demonstration began at October Square of Minsk at 8.00 pm after polling stations had been closed. Nobody doubted there would be no fair votes counting at this “election”. Human rights activists recorded numerous facts of violations of election laws during the whole lection campaign, advance voting and on main election day. Many candidates weren’t registered, there were no equal conditions for agitation, people were made to vote early. Arrests for distributing of independent information at the “election” were organised in the country. Moreover, there were facts of ballot boxes opening and ballot stuffing at polling stations. The extremely low rate of representatives of the opposition parties in polling station election commissions – only 47 people out of 69.865 (0.07 per cent ), demonstrates that there won’t be fair votes counting again at this “election”.
It has become obvious today that turnout was apparently overstated several times. Data of independent observers on turnout in Minsk and other cities differed from the figures, “drawn up” by election commissions’ members. Syarhei Kalyakin, leader of the opposition Communist Party of Belarus, said on September 28 the data on turnout were thought up.
October Square, where the protest rally began, wasn’t cordoned off by riot militia, unlike usual. However, there were lots of riot militiamen in civvies at the square, and buses with riot militia and special purpose troops stood in the neighbouring yards. Presence of a large number of international observers and foreign journalists apparently hindered the authorities to use force to crackdown a peaceful protest action, as always.
About 2000 opposition activists gathered at October Square, among them were leaders of the BPF party Lyavon Barshcheuski, Viktar Ivashkevich, Vintsuk Vyachorka, leader of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Andrei Sannikov, Zmitser Bandarenka, former political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin, head of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich, head of the committee on creation of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Paval Sevyarynets, head of the Communist Party of Belarus Syarhei Kalyakin, Young Front leaders Zmitser Dashkevich, Artur Finkevich, activists of the “European Belarus” Zmitser Barodka, Yauhen Afnahel, Paval Yukhnevich, Maksim Veynyarski, Palina Kuryanovich and others.
Slogans with a demand of new, really free and fair elections were heard on the square. Along the traffic area demonstrators unfurled streamers “Boycott to dictatorship!”, “Give us new election!”, “Lukashenka is Europe’s last dictator”, “No to Russian bases in Belarus!”, “Stop Luka!”, “No to electoral farce!”, “We are for elections, but against electoral farce!”, “Together for democracy!” There were national and European flags, as well as flags of the “European Belarus”. Demonstrators were chanting: “Long live Belarus!” and “Down with false elections!”, “Down with false deputies!”, “New elections!”
On the stairs of the Palace of Trade Unions a press-conference of oppositional parties’ leaders was held. The leader of the Party of Belarusian Communists Syarhei Kalyakin and the deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front party Vintsuk Vyachorka stated on behalf of the United Democratic Forces, that the elections to the “chamber of representatives” were unfair and not free, and the new “chamber” must be recognized by no means. “Nothing unexpected has taken place. The worst has happened, as we had expected. Honest vote count is not taking place. 26.3 per cent of voters have voted earlier, and all their votes were trumped in favor of the pro-regime candidates, so there was no separate vote count. Deputies of the “chamber” are appointed by the regime. The “parliamentary election” in Belarus is a performance for foreign observers. But it has failed. Everywhere in the constituencies were democratic candidates were nominated, everything was done secretly, there was no honest vote count. The conclusion is, the election has been rigged, and the new “parliament” cannot be called legitimate,” the PKB leader Syarhei Kalyakin said.
The demonstration continued by a march along Independence Avenue to the building of the Central Election Commission. The number of participants grew as the column marched along the street. The column went out to the traffic area. The protesters were carrying a streamer: “Yes to elections, no to electoral farce!” Young activists made a fire show. They were chanting: “Long live belarus!”, “We demand new elections!”
Police cars moved along the column. Policemen demanded to leave the traffic area. Protesters marched to the Central Election Commission on the pavement. Near the CEC on Independence Square a protest rally was held. Opposition leaders spoke to the people. Participants of the rally demanded to hold new elections. All of them noted that over the 14 years of Lukashenka’s rule there were no democratic election campaigns. The results of all elections were shamelessly rigged. The leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich read a prayer for free and independent Belarus. Words of the prayer were repeated by all participants of the rally.
The meeting near the CEC continued by a march along Independence Avenue to October Square. A former political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin joined the participants of the demonstration. He was marching in the head of the column with his daughter and his grandson. A meeting was held on October Square. Participants of the rally stood on the stairs of the Palace of Republic. Alyaksandr Kazulin stated that the “parliamentary election” has been falsified, and the “deputies” have been appointed by the regime. As said by him, the voting turnout was less then 50%, even considering early voting and the Belarusians are to demand the new democratic election.
