CEC turns down opposition groups’ applications and hinders opposition candidates from running for the Presidency
Opposition activists protest against CEC’s decision to disqualify their nomination groups. May 15, 2020. Image source: Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections The Central Election Commission has registered 15 groups formed to support the nominations of future presidential candidates. These include the incumbent Aliaksandr Lukashenka, former Belgazprombank CEO Viktar Babaryka, ex-MP Hanna Kanapatskaya, BSDH party leader Siarhei Cherachen, […]
Weekly report: Human rights situation deteriorating ahed of election
The Presidential election is scheduled for August 9 in Belarus and so far, authorities have ignored proposals to amend electoral procedures to minimize risks relating to COVID-19. Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections found that basic civil and political freedoms are hampered by significant legislative restrictions and report that the general human rights situation has […]
Weekly report: Human rights situation deteriorating ahead of election
Observation of the presidential election is carried out by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee and the Human Rights Center “Viasna” in the framework of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”. SUMMARY – the 2020 presidential election in Belarus was announced against the background of an adverse geopolitical situation in the region, and in the conditions […]
Viasna calls for the immediate release of its arrested members
Riot police detain Siarhey Tsikhanouski, a blogger who announced his candidacy to the Presidency, in Homiel. Photo: Siarhey Lyapinv, Source:belsat.eu Statement of the Board of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Minsk – May 12, 2020 Over the past few weeks, there have been several cases of persecution and judicial harassment of members of our […]
Recommendations to make 2020 Presidential election safer and fairer during pandemic
Image source: telegrafi.com Members of the non-partisan election observation campaign “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” sent to the Central Election Commission, the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court a set of key proposals on this year’s presidential election scheduled for late August. The human rights activists note that their goal is assessing […]
Analytical report of the Parliamentary elections
FINDINGS The elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the seventh convocation were announced by Presidential Decree No. 294 of August 5, 2019 and took place on November 17, 2019. In accordance with the current legislation, the parliamentary elections and the presidential elections were to be held in 2020, with […]
Full analytical report
According to the “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”, these elections do not meet international standards of democratic and free elections for a number of reasons: lack of equal access to state media for all candidates, lack of impartial election commissions, use of administrative resource in favor of pro-government candidates, numerous cases of coercion of […]
Decline of political race and total fraud
The parliamentary elections were once again marred by gross violations of both Belarusian legislation and international standards, representatives of “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections”, a nation-wide election observation coalition, said at a press conference in Minsk. Aleh Hulak (Belarusian Helsinki Committee) and Uladzimir Labkovich (Human Rights Center “Viasna”) say each electoral phase (formation of election commissions, registration of […]
Report on early voting
The official turnout for early voting is reported at 35.77%, which is the record high for the parliamentary elections since 2008. Official turnout figures were much greater than those reported by the observers. Participation in early voting was encouraged by the authorities. Administrations of government-owned enterprises and institutions, as well as universities strongly advised voters […]
Early Voting: Official turnout figures exaggerated and cases of coercion of participants to vote
SUMMARY – the official turnout for early voting is reported at 35.77%, which is the record high for the parliamentary elections since 2008; – observation of early voting was conducted by 160 observers of the campaign “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” at more than 94 polling stations throughout the country; – as before, participation […]
