Kalesnikava, Znak and Salei are new political prisoners
Image source: gazetaby.com On September 9, the authorities arrested Maryia Kalesnikava, a member of the presidium of the Coordination Council for Resolving the Political Crisis, lawyer Maksim Znak and lawyer Illia Salei. Their apartments were searched and the detainees were taken to the Investigative Committee for questioning. On September 7, Maryia Kalesnikava was abducted by unknown persons in […]
Call to reconsider allocating a seat in the EED Board to the far-right political group in the European Parliament
Image source: euneighbours.eu Letter by CSOs to the EED’s Board of Governors, President of the European Parliament, Presidents of political groups of the European Parliament We are deeply concerned with the decision of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament to offer a seat on the Board of Governors of the European Endowment for […]
1st observation mission report of pre-election period
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Political context. The Republic of Moldova is a parliamentary republic, but the President of the state is elected by universal suffrage. Even if the powers of the President of the Republic of Moldova are limited, the competition for this position has a high potential to mobilize the electorate. The pre-election period has been marked by […]
First interim report on pre-election campaigning
OPORA’s analysis of public activities of political parties and potential candidates in August indicates a full-fledged launch of the pre-election campaign, which is unregulated by any electoral legal framework at this stage. The public activity with elements of electoral campaigning was manifested by 70 political parties. At the same time, 41 political parties from […]
The CEC has formed oblast, raion, and city election commissions
Formation of commissions The Central Election Commission and local organizations of political parties have properly realized their functions in regard to formation and staffing of key collegial bodies responsible for the organization of local elections on 25 October 2020 and overall election administration in oblasts, raions and cities. On 10 August, the deadline established by […]
EaP CSF Belarus Monitoring Mission Report
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Belarus Monitoring Mission has released their final monitoring report on Belarus. The report asserts that the presidential elections in the Republic of Belarus cannot be considered free or fair due to several violations of democratic norms and standards. As a result, the EaP CSF Monitoring Mission has developed a set of recommendations to […]
Human Rights Situation in Belarus: August 2020
Image source: rferl.org Summary: on August 9, the Belarusian presidential election culminated in Election Day, which took place against the background of continuous repressions, an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in society; the electoral process did not meet international standards for free and democratic elections. The elections were marred by numerous violations and falsifications, […]
Financial police arrest another member of opposition coordination council
Liliya Ulasava Liliya Ulasava, a famous mediator and a member of the presidium of the Coordination Council, has been arrested by officers of the Department for Financial Investigations, according to a Council member Maksim Znak. Ulasava was detained after coming to a district police department in Minsk to provide explanations about her alleged involvement in […]
150 detained in weekend protests
Peaceful protest action in Minsk on August 30, 2020. Photo: spring96.org 125 people were detained during yesterday’s protest as tens of thousands continued to stage daily demonstrations in various cities of Belarus, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Twenty-nine were detained the day before yesterday, during a women’s protest in Minsk. Most detainees, […]
How to organize local elections during the pandemic
Elections amid Pandemic: International Practices and Recommendations for Ukraine CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS International Practices The growing pandemic caused by COVID-19 has had a major impact on the electoral management around the world. Over 50 countries have postponed their voting. Parliamentary elections in Serbia, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka, presidential elections in Poland and Bolivia, or local […]