Boycott-2008

16:24 Belarusian Consulate Picketed in Tallinn (Photo)

A rally of protest against rigging election results has taken place near the consulate of Belarus in Tallinn. Its organisers were the members of the United Civil Party Alesya and Artur Tsurbakovy. 

15:23 MEP Janusz Onyszkiewicz: The West shouldn’t recognise “election” in Belarus

Polish member of the European Parliament, former defence minister and one of the leaders of Solidarity movement urged the West not to recognise the election results in Belarus. 

15:17 CIC observers “don’t notice” violations during voting

Observers of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) weren’t allowed to observe the voting at polling stations of the 104th constituency of Minsk. 

15:16 Protocols will be passed to constituency commissions without witnesses

The head of the electoral commission of Brest-Tsentralnaya constituency #2 said to a member of the electoral commission Ryhor Bakiyevich that he would not be admitted during receiving of the protocols of precinct commissions about the results of voting. 

14:24 New proofs of opening ballot boxes at night

Observer Uladzimir Malei said he recorded a fact of changing the seal on the box at polling station #65 of Brest-Mukhavetskaya constituency #4. 

13:18 Independent candidate hasn’t found himself in lists of voters

Syarhei Kuzmyanok, an independent candidate for deputy in Hrodna-Zanyomanski constituency No. 49 hasn’t found himself and his wife in the list of voters when he came to the polling station No. 28 in the school No. 31. 

13:03 Lukashenka: “Opposition top won’t get to parliament. I prefer skiing in the east”

Alyaksandr Lukashenka has said today at the polling station he wouldn’t allow opposition leaders to the “house of representatives”. 

12:23 Yarmoshyna: “OSCE observers overturned ballot box and kicked it”

Head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna accused OSCE observers of violating the law at polling stations, Radio Svaboda reports. 

12:20 Volha Kazulina: “Results of the “election” would be rigged unambiguously”

When voting at Kolasauski polling station No. 518 Volha Kazulina, the daughter of the former candidate for president Alyaksandr Kazulin, a candidate for deputy in Sukharauski constituency No. 102, has made a statement. 

11:33 Scandal: Ballot-stuffing recorded (Updated)

A ballot box was opened during the lunch break from 2.00 to 4.00 pm at polling station #456 in Minsk. 

11:32 Figures of election commissions differ from ones of observers

According to an independent observer, 470 (23.65 per cent of the voters) have voted during five days of the early voting at polling station #79 of Vitsebski-Kastrychnitski constituency #20, though the election commission states 579 (29.13 per cent) voted. The figures of the observer and commission were the same for four days, but the difference was 109 votes on the fifth day (or night). 

10:40 Alyaksandr Bukhvostau: Nothing has changed

A press-conference of the United Democratic Forces representatives, Alyaksandr Bukhvostau and Mikalay Pakhabau, has taken place in the head office of the Belarusian Popular Front: 

10:09 Syarhei Kalyakin: “Ballots replaced on Friday/Saturday night”

“The will expression of the Belarusian citizens won’t be reflected in final reports of voting,” leader of the Party of Communists of Belarus Syarhei Kalyakin said during voting at Kolasauski polling station #106, where he runs. 

Today is the main polling day at the so-called “parliamentary elections” in Belarus. Over the whole history of the modern Belarus these would be the most non-alternative elections. Only 2.4 candidates run for one seat in the “chamber of representatives”. The elections are non-alternative in 17 constituencies. There is only one henchman of the regime there. The number of constituencies without democratic candidates is 36. 

16:16 Action in Warsaw: For Our Freedom and Yours! (Photo)

An action for holding new free election and against recognition of results of the “election” on September 28 was held in Warsaw on September 27. 

15:51 Action near Belarusian embassy in Moscow: “Your election is farce!” (Photo)

A picket of protest against rigging if the results of the “parliamentary election” in the country, scheduled for September 28, was held in Moscow near the Belarusian embassy on September 27. 

15:21 What do commission members do at polling stations at night?

On 27 September at night, lights were burning and a militia officer was seen at polling station #474 of the Starazhouski constituency, situated in the library on Shevchenko Bulvar. 

13:00 Democrats burnt their IDs of MP candidate (Photo, video)

MP candidates of the European List burnt their IDs of MP candidates near the building of the Central Election Commission in protest of rigging of the “parliamentary election“ results. 

12:31 Reporters Without Borders: There has been no improvement in the media coverage of “election campaign”

International organisation Reporters Without Borders are not satisfied with coverage of the “election campaign” by the Belarusian media. The organisation concluded it after seeing the report of the monitoring conducted by the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) and the OSCE. 

12:05 If we keep silent today, presidential election will be rigged, too

This is an opinion of one of the leaders of the “European Belarus” Zmitser Bandarenka. 

Democratic candidates are not presented in 9 out of 20 constituencies of Minsk. The opposition calls on the international community not to recognise the “parliamentary election” legitimate and is ready to go to October Square of Minsk at 8.00 September 28 to demand new really free election. 

10:47 Election boycotted in Lukashenka’s native district (Photo, video)

Observers found a “forgotten” polling station in the Shklou district, where Alyaksandr Lukashenka was born, which was absolutely solitude, there weren’t voters and observers at the station. 

9:19 Whole streets of voters “get lost”

Observers in regions continue to find violations in decisions of executive commissions on formation of polling stations. 

19:18 Unequal conditions for campaigning

Official newspapers in Svetlahorsk continue to promote “official” candidate Valiantsina Kavaliova (incumbent MP and former deputy head of ideology department of rayon executive committee). 

19:17 Kalinkavichy: Observer summoned to prosecutor’s office

On September 24th, two policemen of Kalinkavichy department visited the polling station where BHC observer Dzianis Rabianok observed the process of early voting. 

19:15 Mazyr: Officials offended by UCP candidate’s speech

Leanid Arlou, UCP candidate in Mazyr district # 42, did not expect inadequate reaction to his TV speech. 

19:13 Andrei Tsianiuta arrested for 7 days

Chyhunachny court of Homel considered the administrative charges against youth activist Andrei Tsianiuta and sentenced him to 7 days of arrest and a fine of 700, 000 BYR (about 350 USD). This way the Young Front member was punished for holding an action on the Day of the City. 

17:57 Lidziya Yarmoshyna: “Boycott is amoral and irresponsible”

Head of the Belarusian Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna thinks the calls to boycott of the “election” are “amoral and irresponsible”. 

15:58 Mikola Statkevich: “We regard this election as farce and call Belarusians to come to Square”

MP candidates, representing the European coalition, urged the citizens of Belarus to take part in the action of protest at October Square of Minsk on September 28. 

15:23 Zyanon Paznyak: Brussels should stop its signals to Lukashenka

On September 25, Zyanon Paznyak, head of the Conservative Christian Party of the Belarusian Popular Front, sent an open letter to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. 

13:44 Mikalai Khalezin: “I won’t go to “election”, but will vote at October Square”

“I won’t go to the “election”. I won’t go, though I have been missing the election, the free election, for the last 14 years,” head of the Free Theatre Mikalai Khalezin says. 

12:59 Сandidates withdraw from “election”: 16 constituencies are non-alternative

MP candidate in Iuye constituency #53 Uladzimir Barshchou made an oral statement on his withdrawal to the Central election Commission. 

12:51 Independent candidates addressed the public: there’s no liberalisation

Seven PM candidates from Babruisk – Alena Myadzvedzeva, Alyaksandr Chyhir, Uladzimir Syamashka, Fyodar Varonich, Mikhail Kavalkou, Hanna Hatavyets, and Syarhei Yeudakimovich wrote an address to the voters, media, inner observers, international community, and international observers. 

12:25 Results of parliamentary vote are key to US-Belarusian relations

The conduct and results of Belarus’ parliamentary elections are key to the future of relations between Belarus and the United States, Robert Wood, deputy spokesman for the US Department of State, told reporters in Washington on September 25. 

11:17 Alyaksandr Kazulin: “I am always with people”

“I will come to the square on September 28. I am always with the youth, with people. I can’t live in a different way. A lot of violations have been recorded during this “election campaign”. It is custumal in the world: if people think the “election” results have been rigged, they take to streets,” former political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin told in an interview to the Charter’97 press center. 

11:14 Attempt of blocking Charter’s website

A short DoS attack on Charter’s website has been launched at 10.20 am (Minsk time) today. Access tp the website remained blocked for 30 minutes. 

9:31 Viktar Ivashkevich: “International observers will watch actions of Lukashenka on September 28”

A district militia officer came to deputy head of the BPF party Viktar Ivashkevich with a summons from the prosecutor’s office of the Savetski district of Minks. 

17:04 Mahiliou: Meetings with voters are possible only at one place in a district

There are two election districts in Kastrychnitski rayon of Mahiliou: # 86 and # 87. There is only one place for meetings with voters in each of the districts. These are Palace of Culture of “BelAZ-MaAZ” company in district 86 and “Zadniaprouye Ltd.” Club in district 87. 

17:03 Prime Minister Sidorski to lead Belarus’ delegation to investment forum in London

Prime Minister Syarhey Sidorski will lead the country’s delegation to a November 18 forum in London, which will be used for promoting Belarus’ investment opportunities, according to the Belarusian foreign ministry’s press office. 

17:03 Vitebsk: It is impossible to receive information about the number of voters and ballot papers

On the first day of early voting permanent chair of precinct election commission # 52 of Vitebsk-Chkalauskaya district # 18 Nina Shubina began to violate the election legislation from the very first second. She sealed the ballot box on her own, failing to open and demonstrate it to commission members before the sealing. 

On September 23rd district commission of Buda-Kashaliou district # 38 held a special hearing of the statement by candidate Kanstantsin Zhukouski . In the document Zhukouski states, the elections are not free and fair, that is why he does not think it makes sense for him to further participate in the election. 

15:35 Henadz Buraukin: “The authorities seem not to want democratic development of country”

“I wish the election were free. But it’s difficult to speak about any progress if compare with the past,” people’s poet of Belarus Henadz Burauki told in an interview to the Charter’97 press center. 

15:23 Andrei Sannikov: “Solana’s actions hold EU up to ridicule”

Coordinator of the “European Belarus” civil campaign Andrei Sannikov thinks the yesterday’s phone conversation between Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Alyaksandr Lukashenka “won’t influence the improving of the situation in Belarus but only give assurance of its impunity to the regime of Lukashenka”. 

13:41 Collective farms “election”

A principle of holding “election campaign” from “election” to “election” remains the same: “compulsory” early voting, which allows to rig the results, is number one problem for observers and voters. 

12:49 Activists of “Boycott” campaign told about repressions during “election” to OSCE/ODIHR

About 100 cases of repressions against youth activists namely arrests, beatings, and expelling from educational institutions, have been recorded during the “Boycott” campaign. 

12:43 Grassroots protest: dwellers of whole houses refuse to vote in Minsk

Dwellers of three tower-blocks in Belski Street of Minsk protest against the local authorities, who don’t solve a problem of land improvement of the yard. 

12:19 Internet society supports boycott

86.6 per cent of people voted on the Charter’97 website, won’t go the “parliamentary election”. Today we offer to readers to answer a question: “Do you support a rally against falsifications of the “election on September 28?” 

10:49 Zinaida Bandarenka: “We should go to Square, not sit in kitchens”

People’s artiste of Belarus Zinaida Bandarenka thinks this “election campaign” can’t be called democratic, so the Belarusians’ must demand new, really free election. 

9:54 How to bypass blocking of website

On September 28, beginning from 8.00 pm, we plan to cover online a demonstration of protest against falsification of the “parliamentary election”, which will be held on that day. Blocking of independent websites for Belarusian visitors during loud political events has become traditional in Belarus. Blocking can be easily bypassed by using simple and effective means. 

9:00 Opposition parties: Early voting used for rigging “election”

The authorities use early voting as one of the main ways of rigging the “election” results. It was said at the session of the presidium of political council of opposition political parties, held in the office of the United Civil Party on September 24.