United opposition nominates about 150 candidates to 110 district electoral commissions

11.07.2008. Tags: elections-2008.
Source: RFE/RL.

11 July is the last day for nomination of candidates to district electoral commissions. Yet before the elections the United Democratic stated their intention to propose a candidate to each of 110 district electoral commissions.

As said by the UDF press secretary Yury Patsiomkin to RFE/RL, the exact number of the nominated candidate is not known yet. Not only political parties, but also NGOs participated in nomination of people to electoral campaigns. Besides, there are individual activists who gathered citizens’ signatures for getting nominated to the electoral commissions.

Mr. Patsiomkin compared the situation with the parliamentary elections 2004. At those elections the opposition nominated about 200 candidates to the electoral campaigns. This time the choice was made more attentively and thoroughly, emphasizes the UDF press secretary.

‘There are certain differences. They are connected with the fact that at present the opposition is more united and the work is more systematized. That’s why we have the single lists of those who are running for the electoral commissions and deputy seats in the parliament.

Four years ago each party nominated as many candidates as it wanted. There was no single coordinative center to choose the candidates which were most prepared to work at the electoral commissions. That’s why, as it seems to me, at that time there were about 200 candidates,’ said Mr. Patsiomkin.

The UDF co-chairman Anatol Liaukovich states that this time the opposition’s candidates to the electoral commissions did their best. The question is whether any of them will be included in the electoral commissions. Yesterday’s Alexander Lukashenka’s calls to create equal conditions to all candidates need to be confirmed by real deeds, states Mr. Liaukovich.

According to the electoral legislation, the electoral commissions are formed by presidiums of the six oblast executive committees and Minsk city executive committee during three days. Thus, the composition of all electoral commissions must be determined by Tuesday, 15 July.

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