Belarusian Helsinki Committee planning observation of local elections :: Charter'97 :: News

The Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) plans to observe the country`s elections for local soviets that began on Tuesday. As BHC Executive Director Oleg Gulak told BelaPAN, members of the human rights group are expected to monitor the poll at the early voting stage and on the main voting day, January 14, both in Minsk and in the provinces.

The organization`s monitors have obtained the right to observe the vote at specific polling stations after gathering the required number of voters` signatures, according to Mr. Gulak.

"We`re already starting to experience problems regarding the access of our observers to polling stations," he noted. "The chairpersons of election commissions suddenly start saying that they doubt [the authenticity of] the gathered signatures and have three days to think [whether or not to let the monitors in]. As a result, some polling stations already have our observers and [election officials] at some are still thinking."

Polling stations are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day with a lunch break from 2 p.m. till 4 p.m. at the January 9-13 early voting stage. The early voting procedure allows any voter to cast a ballot early without explaining why he/she cannot do this on the official polling day.