Mazyr

A sitting of Mazyr election commission No. 42 elected its head – Mikhail Pashynski, administrator of the district executive committee. He was nominated by a state trade union and has become another executive official to chair an election commission, which deprives it of any independence from the executive power.

The commission’s vice-chair is Aliaksandr Shulha, CEO of the Mazyrselbud state-owned enterprise, and its secretary is Mrs. Veranika Baikova, personnel manager of Mazyr district executive committee.

Meanwhile, local human rights defender Uladzimir Tseliapun, who was also nominated for the election commission, failed to be enrolled as a commissioner. According to Mr. Tseliapun, his nomination was dismissed without any legal grounds.

Mr. Bokau, local member of the United Leftist Party “Fair World”, has also been deprived of his right to work on the election commission.

According to Kanstantsin Sumar, chair of Brest regional executive committee, local election commissions recruited “experienced persons”.

Pruzhany

The formation of Pruzhnay election commission No. 8 is a vivid example of the above-stated government principle, as 11 out of 13 commissioners are representatives of the government or state-owned enterprises who used to work here during the 2010 local elections and the 2010 presidential election.

The commission’s chairman is Anatol Laptanovich, head of a local education institution and member of the Belaya Rus pro-government public association. He used to chair the district’s election commission during the 2010 presidential election. The commission’s vice-chair is Ivan Sacheuka, member of the Communist Party of Belarus and head of local office of a state trade union of education and science, who held the same position during the presidential election.

The secretary is Mrs. Sviatlana Yafimava, official of Pruzhany district executive committee.

Orsha

The first sitting of election commission of Orsha constituency No. 26 elected its head – Siarhei Ramanenka, chair of local environmental protection committee.

The commission’s deputy chair is Mrs. Ina Khamutouskaya, chief manager of Orsha town executive committee, who held the same position during the previous elections. The secretary is Mrs. Iryna Louchaya, representative of a pro-government trade union of educators, member of various election commissions since early 1990s who has been heavily criticized for alleged involvement in election rigging.

At the same time, the commission does not include a single representative of the region’s pro-democratic forces.

Zhodzina

Zhodzina constituency election commission No. 64 is one of the few that has a representative of the opposition – Aliaksandr Valchanin, member of the United Civil Party. However, the rest of the commissioners including its head are employees of local government bodies, with Siarhei Afanasenka (chief manager of the Smaliavichyraihaz state enterprise and member of the Belaya Rus pro-government NGO) as its head and Uladzimir Tsyolta (head of Zhodzina central hospital) as vice-chairman. Both persons used to work on the commission during the previous election campaigns.

Barysau

The official web-site of Barysau district executive committee and that of the committee’s weekly “Adzinstva” have not yet published the information on the formation of local constituency election commission.

Therefore, it is impossible to learn who was enrolled as election commissioners.

Shklou          

The election commission of Shklou constituency No. 90 has elected its leaders, says the “Udarny Front” government-owned newspaper. According to official information, the commission will be chaired by Aliaksandr Davydovich, its vice-chair is Mrs. Halina Marfel and the secretary is Mrs. Alena Naumovich. All of them have previously worked as election commissioners and have been nominated by the district’s ideology department.

However, the newspaper fails to provide any data on other members of the election commission. Meanwhile, two opposition nominees – Mikhail Kucharenka (Belarusian Popular Front) and Anatol Mileshchanka (“Fair World” Party) – have not been elected as the election commission members.