Authorities ignored demands of opposition parties

• 5.09.2008, 8:46

The Central Election Commission didn’t agree on including a question on checking legality of polling stations election commissions formation into the agenda of its latest session.

The proposal was initiated by representatives of the opposition political parties, who are CEC members with a consultative vote, “BelaPAN writes.

Representative of the United Civil Party Uladzimir Ramanouski noted “a task of considering legality during the election campaign is among the control functions of the Central Election Commission”.

Besides, he noted that this issue should be view in regard of “gross violations in formation of some polling stations commissions”. In his view, considering of these issues will help to hold free election in Belarus.

CEC head Lidziya Yarmoshyna noted that the central Commission never considered such general questions. “We perform control functions in concrete work, in particular when considering complaints,” she noted. “We needed to check formation order of 6.523 polling stations commissions and 110 district commissions, which is impossible, to discuss a question proposed by the political parties at the CEC sitting. There’s no sense in cursory considering of the issue. “

Besides, the CEC refused to consider a question on including a provision of the Convention on Standards for Free and Democratic Election in CIS Members States, concerning rights of observers, into one of the commission’s decree and recommendations given to members of polling stations election commissions. L. Yarmoshyna emphasised that Belarus had just joined the Convention, but this document hadn’t been ratified by the “parliament”.