ELECTION DAY +1 #electby (October 12th, 2015, Monday)
EU to suspend sanctions against Belarus for four months
According to numerous news agencies, the EU’s Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs decided to suspend the sanctions against Belarusian citizens and companies for four months.
French Secretary of State for European Affairs Harlem Désir is quoted as follows: “For the next four months, there is the decision to suspend the sanctions.” Désir stressed that the sanctions can be “put in place again immediately if it proves justified.” Croation Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić said the EU wants to improve relations with Belarus for it considers it a partner “to stabilise the region.”
The present sanctions are directed against around 140 persons and 25 companies and include an arms embargo. While the latter will stay intact and sanctions against companies will only be partially suspended, only four Belarusian citizens, all members of security bodies, will be further targeted by the sanctions. They were supposedly involved in enforced disappearances of regime opponents.
Sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
ELECTION DAY +1 #electby (October 12th, 2015, Monday)
Preliminary findings of the International Election Observation Mission published
The International Election Observation Mission published today preliminary findings about the election in Belarus.
In the report, the Mission highlights problems in different areas. Among other things, observers could not follow the entire election process, especially vote counting and tabulation were not transparent. In half of the cases, observers were denied to see the voter’s lists, and signs of ballot box stuffing were reported.
In total 928 international and 43,573 citizen observers were accredited to monitor the election. Roughly two-third of the citizen observers came from state-subsidised groups.
Despite the severe criticism expressed in the report, the Mission noted the welcoming attitude towards foreign observers, specific improvements and the peaceful character of the campaigning period and election day.
The International Election Observation Mission is a joint endeavor of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
Source: http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/belarus/191586?download=true
1 DAY TILL #electby (October 10th, 2015, Friday)
Procession of National Flag in Minsk
Around 800 people took part in a protest march from Svabody Square to Yakub Kolas Square in Minsk. Several oppositional politicians and public figures have called on people to talk part in the rally. Former presidential candidates in 2010 Mikalai Statkevich and Uladzimir Niakliayeu gave speeches as well as the chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka.
Source: http://spring96.org/en/news/80573
See also our own coverage
on the topic.
4 DAYS TILL #electby (October 8th, 2015, Thursday)
Observers against observers
Already on the second day of early voting for the presidential elections in Belarus, two independent observers were deprived of their accreditations. Since most observers represent pro-governmental organisations, many independent observers monitor not only the elections but their colleagues, too.
Source: http://spring96.org/en/news/80427
4 DAYS TILL #electby (October 8th, 2015, Thursday)
Violation of electoral legislation in Hrodna
On 7 October, observers of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" discovered that the early voting protocol of one polling station in Hrodna / Grodno had been changed. Instead of 2500 ballots received on Tuesday, the number changed to 2400. Furthermore, some other numbers were replaced.
Source: http://spring96.org/en/news/80478
4 DAYS TILL #electby (October 8th, 2015, Thursday)
Organisers of the rally against Russian air base are called to court
Viasna reports that organisers and participants of the demonstration against the Russian air base in Belarus were summoned to court on 8 October. The court wants to open administrative cases against them. The rally "For Free, Peaceful and Neutral Belarus" was held on 4 October and was organised and attended by prominent opposition figures. One of them was Mikola Statkevich, whe also received an "invitation" to the court.
Source: http://spring96.org/en/news/80464
8 DAYS TILL #electby (October 4th, 2015, Sunday)
Hundreds protest against Russian Air Base In Belarus
On 4 October, between 400 and 500 people demonstrated at Minsk’s Liberty Square against the establishment of a Russian air base in Belarus. It would be the third Russian military facility on Belarusian territory.
Former presidential candidate and long time political prisoners Mikola Statkevich spoke at the rally and criticised the existing plans to establish an air base because of the current geopolitical background.
The initiators of the meeting were representatives of the opposition. Last week Statkevich, Vladimir Neklyayev, head of the public campaign “Tell the Truth!”, Anatoly Lebedko, head of the United Civil Party of Belarus, Alaksiej Janukievich, leader of the Partyja BNF political party, and Yury Hubarevich, chairman of the movement “For Freedom” signed a joint statement against the Russian plan.
The opposition stresses that the placing would be contrary to the Belarusian constitution, threatens the country’s independence and pushes Belarus into a military confrontation with its European neighbours.
Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/belarus-russia-air-base-protest/27287417.html
Source: http://belapan.by/archive/2015/10/04/805288/
8 DAYS TILL #electby (October 3rd, 2015, Saturday)
Political activists detained and released without charges
On 1 October in Minsk, police detained two activists of the movement “For Freedom”. One day later, an activist of the United Civil Party Siarhei Kasabutski was detained in Gomel while handing out invitations to an electoral meeting. Oppositionists from the second-largest city in Belarus intend to hold an meeting for voters on 7 October. In both cases, the arrested persons were released without charges.
Source: http://spring96.org/en/news/80267
8 DAYS TILL #electby (October 3rd, 2015, Saturday)
Three Candidates debated on Belarus 1. Lukashenko absent
On early Saturday evening, presidential candidates Tatsiana Karatkevich and Nikolai Ulakhovich debated for one hour on state-owned TV-channel Belarus 1. Candidate Sergei Gaidukevich sent his son Oleg Gaidukevich, who is first deputy chairman of his father’s Liberal Democratic Party.
The fourth candidate, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, declined to participate in the TV-debate. However, he did not rule out that he will make a brief reference to the voters on the eve of elections.
Source: http://belapan.by/archive/2015/10/03/805171/
10 DAYS TILL #electby (October 1st, 2015, Wednesday)
Press Review for 1 October, 2015
Lukashenko is likely to win the first round of elections with more than 45% of the vote, reports research institute IISEPS. The numbers come from a public opinion poll held in September. Compared to the June poll, Lukashenko’s rating has visibly improved from 38.6% to 45.7%. The other candidates are at 17.9% (Karatkevich), 11.4% (Gaidukevich) and 3.6 % (Ulakhovich).
Considering the voter turnout, Lukashenko will get even higher results, states Poland-based Belarusian television channel BelsatTV.
Source: http://vybary.belsat.eu/en/news/pragnozy-lukashenka-peramozha-u-pershym-tury-vybarau/
12 DAYS TILL #electby (September 29th, 2015, Tuesday)
Opposition party BKhD to hold pickets against all candidates
The oppositional Christian Democrat Party (Belarusskaia Khristianskaya Demokratia, BKhD) wants to hold pickets against all candidates taking part in the upcoming presidential election.
According to the party’s press service, the goal is to remind Belarusians that taking part in the elections means directly supporting the current regime. The pickets are planned to take place from 5 to 10 October in Minsk and in 15 other major cities from 8 to 10 October. Authorities yet have to give their permission – the requests are pending since 17 and 18 September.
Source: http://naviny.by/rubrics/elections/2015/09/29/ic_news_623_464148/
12 DAYS TILL #electby (September 29th, 2015, Tuesday)
CEC news: 25 000 election observers and no way to give more broadcast time to opposition candidates
Lidia Yermoshina, head of Belarus’ Central Election Commission (CEC), announced that the proposal to transfer Lukashenko’s unused broadcast time on radio and TV to another candidate might not be possible.
In a press conference the CEC hold on Tuesday, Yermoshina said that no such request has been made. “When there will be a request, we will examine it”, she continued, adding that “the broadcast time is given by the state to a specific candidate, and not for giving it to someone else”.
On 25 September, Lukashenko, who has not yet used the standard amount of broadcast time alloted to every candidate, told the media that he was eager to give his spare time to another candidate, but supposedly none of them was interested.
Subsequently, presidential candidate Tatiana Korotkevich asked the CCE for Lukashenko’s time.
Yermoshina also told the media that one of the presidential candidates filed a complaint with the CEC against another candidate and that thus far authorities have registered more than 24 000 Belarusian and 830 foreign election observers.
Source: http://naviny.by/rubrics/elections/2015/09/29/ic_news_623_464144/
12 DAYS TILL #electby (September 29th, 2015, Tuesday)
Nikolai Ulakhovich’s answers netizens
In an online conference, Nikolai Ulakhovich, presidential candidate and leader of the Belarusian Patriotic Party and the “Belarusian Cossacks”, answered the questions asked by readers of the online news portal “naviny.by”. He stressed his loyalty to both Alexander Lukashenko and Belarus, that, according to his own words, must grow a new national culture.
He also proposed further integration with Russia, calling Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians “branches of one tree”.
Russian source: http://naviny.by/rubrics/elections/2015/09/29/ic_articles_623_189876/
19 DAYS TILL #electby (September 23rd, 2015, Wednedsay)
Belarusian Republican Youth Union teaches how to comment
Electby.org published the screenshots with letters to regional departments of Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM) giving instructions what articles they had to comment on.
The letter contains links to news on Tut.by and “Nasha Niva”, deadlines for publication of specific comments and demands to take screenshots of the activity.
For example, it is required to write an approving comment to the text of Lukashenko’s election program, while an article about oppositionist Mikola Statkevich’s picket should be criticized, mentioning foreign grants.
Electby.org is an interactive map of election frauds, where everyone can send their information about observed misconducts. The report about the instructions of BRSM is now marked unverified on the website.
Source: http://2015.electby.org/reports/view/19
19 DAYS TILL #electby (September 23rd, 2015, Wednedsay)
"For the future of independent Belarus". A campaign or a coincidence?
State media and business use the symbol and the slogan of Lukashenko in their news feed and products. Lawyers point out the case of indirect agitation while Lidia Yermoshyna, head of the Central Election Commission of Belarus, calls the situation "ambiguous".
A tick in the shape of «V», painted in colors of the national flag, is visible at concerts, and also flashes on the posters, in a mobile application "Vybory-2015" and on the website "Belta". Today the posters with the slogan "For the future of independent Belarus" appeared in the Minsk metro. The same symbol and slogan was presented by the incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, during collection of signatures.
Source: http://news.tut.by/society/465692.html
Source: http://news.tut.by/politics/464988.html
20 DAYS TILL #electby (September 22nd, 2015, Tuesday)
Mikalai Ulahovich promises to lift “central planning”
“Recently we tried to raise our five-year strategy plan for economic growth of our country. In the beginning I had a feeling that the environment of current president offers him a strategy of planned socialistic economy, very well-known from the Soviet time and widely discussed by specialists. But they disregard that in Belarus there are two co-existing economic systems: first – half-controlled and planned by state, and the second – market economy. Therefore five-year economic plans that include private ownership and entrepreneurship, are not good for us“.
Source: http://belapan.by/archive/2015/09/22/802604/
22 DAYS TILL #electby (September 20th, 2015, Sunday)
Artists vote for stability. Or don’t vote at all
Radio Liberty asked the famous Belarusian artists about their voting preferences.
"I vote for stability. For a man who loves his country and who is a patriot" said director Sergei Zhdanovich (author of the film "We brothers"). Sculptor Loyko Gyenik, painter Ales Pushkin and singer Lyavon Volskiy announced that they intend to boycott the elections. "I will not go. Since 1994, I do not go to the polls. ... At each election, they arrested me and put me in jail. There is no one to vote for" said Pushkin.
Source: http://www.svaboda.org/content/article/27258799.html
22 DAYS TILL #electby (September 20th, 2015, Sunday)
Mikhalevich has been refused in closing the case of the 2010 riots - TUT.BY
Ales Mikhalevich, one of opposition candidates in the last presidential elections, was detained by Belarusian border guards when he tried to enter the country and released on condition to remain on the territory of Belarus.
He left Belarus after being imprisoned due to participation in the post-election demonstrations on 19 December 2010, and lived in exile in the Czech Republic where he had received political asylum.
Source: http://news.tut.by/politics/465256.html
23 DAYS TILL #electby (September 19th, 2015, Saturday)
“A Just World” will not support any candidate
The Belarusian United Left Party “A Just World” will not support any of the four candidates in the election on 11 October.
The decision was made at the meeting of the central committee of the party on 19 September. Instead, the party wants to use the time before the election for rallies, pickets or media campaigns to advertise their own party platform and to show the errors of the current government.
“A Just World” will take part in the campaign “For Fair Elections 2015” and will monitor the electoral process.
Source: http://euroradio.fm/ru/partiya-spravedlivyy-mir-ne-podderzhit-na-vyborah-ni-odnogo-iz-kandidatov
23 DAYS TILL #electby (September 19th, 2015, Saturday)
Prosecutor investigate Lukashenko’s collecting signatures
The Belarusian Christian Democracy party published online two reports on questionable collections of supporters’ signatures. The documented incidents that took place in Vitebsk, involves parents signing a document that they would vote for Lukashenko in the upcoming election. Additionally, signatures for the incumbent president were collected before the official start of the campaign.
After the regional election commission ordered an investigation, a party activist was summoned by the prosecutor for questioning.
Source: https://spring96.org/en/news/79990
25 DAYS TILL #electby (September 17th, 2015, Friday)
The first performance of Tatsiana Karatkevich on TV: “Lukashenko is tired, he needs rest”
Tatsiana Karatkevich made her first appearance on television as a candidate. She encouraged voters to change the old team and vote for peaceful change.
"Think and look into your wallets. There is now less than five years ago. This is the result of stability that turned into a stagnation and stagnation that turned into a crisis…Lukashenko is tired, he needs rest. People will say thank you for all the good that has been done, but we need to go forward".
Source: http://news.tut.by/politics/464996.html
27 DAYS TILL #electby (September 15th, 2015, Wednesday)
2010 presidential candidate threatened by state police
Through his Facebook page the oppositional politician Uladzimir Nyaklyayew informed about a phone call from police officers, ordering him to visit the police department and give an explanation of his presence at a demonstration. He took part in a protest for free and fair election on 10 September, which had not been sanctioned by the police.
Source: http://charter97.org/en/news/2015/9/15/169079/