Referendum and elections Results Rigging Proved :: Charter'97 :: News

The proofs that the results of voting were rigged were demonstrated at a press conference in Minsk by the leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka. The politician showed snapshots where a pile of ballot papers with checked “Yes” squares was represented. The photograph was made on Saturday, on the eve of the election day, at the polling station in the school number 4 in Minsk. Members of the constituency election commissions gave these ballot papers to the elderly citizens who came to the early voting.

The man who pictured these ballot papers told to Radio Svaboda:

- -On Saturday at 4 p.m. I came to the school number 4, near the National [former Lenin] Library, to photograph early voting at the polling station. One of elderly ladies was given a ballot paper. I decided to take a close-up of the ballot paper, and I saw that there was a sign in the column “Yes” already. The elderly lady also was surprised, and asked the commission why it was filled in already. The members of the election commission were confused and afraid, they started to babble something. I wanted to photograph the table of the election commission, and by the list of voters I saw a pile of ballot papers with a marked “Yes” column.

At today’s press conference Anatol Lyabedzka demonstrated these pictures. It has become convincing evidence that parliamentary elections and referendum have been turned into a farce.

-These photographs are a concrete proof of falsifications and tricks to which the authorities have been resorting to, told Anatol Lyabedzka.