Central electoral commission calls candidate’s complaint unethical

05.09.2008. Tags: elections-2008.

A candidate at Babruisk-Pershamaiskay electoral constituency #79 Mikhail Kavalkou received an answer to his complaint, signed by the head of the Central electoral commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna.

In his complaint Mr. Kavalkou said that Uladzimir Karpiak, another candidate running at his constituency, had posted agitation leaflets without imprint on the territory of the open stock company Belshyna where he was working as the chief engineer.

Yarmoshyna answered: ‘According to Article 49 of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus, only observers have the right Acts on law violations. Electors are not authorized to do it. Moreover, it is unethical when such a tool is used for getting rid of rivals.’

By this answer Kavalkou is informed that distribution of such printed materials can result in a warning for a candidate in the case he or his proxies are found guilty, but the law does not provide deprival of or denial in registration for such actions.

‘I am sure that I would have been deprived of registration in no time had I posted such leaflets,’ said Mikhail Kavalkou. ‘Then I had to apply to observers to get them submit another complaint to the Central electoral commission’.

A formal answer to several complaints to the CEC and the procuracy of Leninski district of Babruisk was received by a candidate for deputy Alena Miadzvedzeva (Babruisk-Leninskaya electoral constituency #78). She asked the state agencies to pay attention to the interviews with a pretender for candidate Alena Shamal that were published by the state newspapers Babruiskaye Zhyttsio and Viacherni Babruisk during the stage of collection of signatures.

The CEC answered that the interviews of Alena Shamal to Babruiskaye Zhyttsio and Viacherni Babruisk concerned her duty activities and personal life and contained no traits of electoral agitation. The procurator’s office answered that there were no calls and elements of electoral program in the articles, that’s why their publication could not be considered as a law violation.

Human rights activists for free elections