Independent Belarusian observers: “Election” is undemocratic, “parliament” is illegitimate

• 29.09.2008, 14:20

Members of the campaign “Human Rights Activists for Free Election” said at a today’s press conference in Minsk that the “parliamentary elections” were unfree and undemocratic and theri results couldn’t be recognised as legitimate.

“Non-transparent procedures of formatting of district and, especially, polling station election commissions, insufficient transparency of candidates’ registration, forcing to early voting and close character of the “elections” for observers didn’t meet standards of the OSCE Copenhagen documents and the Belarusian legislation. Violations of rules of votes counting, impossibility of independent monitoring didn’t create base for confidence for the “elections” results,” head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Aleh Hulak told in an interview to the Charter’97 press center.

According to Ales Byalyatski, vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights, tendencies to mass violations, begun during the early voting, continued on the election day, too.

“The number of people, who came to polling stations, was overstated. Odd 300-400 names, the so called ghost voters, appeared in voter lists at many polling stations. Their votes were for pro-governmental candidates. Vote counting wasn’t transparent. Observers weren’t allowed to come to tables, where votes were being counted. The vote counting was fraudulent. Observers could monitor the counting only at some polling stations. A vivid picture emerged: 80-90 per cent of early voter gave their votes for authorities’ candidates. But opposition candidates received more votes on the main election day. It is obvious, that results of early voting were rigged. If there were oppositionists among members of election commissions, democrats won. It is clear, why there were only 47 opposition representatives out of almost 70.000 commission members. It proves that the “elections” were falsified at other polling stations. The “elections” were non-transparent and non-democratic, these “deputies” have been appointed by the Lukashenka’s administration,” Ales Byalyatski concluded.