Vitsebsk pro-democratic activists Lidziya Sahidulina, Siarhei Parsiukevich and Uladzimir Pravalski have lodged complaints with the Central Election Commission, contesting yesterday’s decisions by local election commissions to deny them registration as candidates for Parliament.

Dzianis Dashkevich, opposition activist from the town of Rahachou (Homel region), has been summoned to local KGB office, after he was denied registration as a candidate for Parliament.

Ihar Maslouski, Brest leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) running for Parliament in local constituency No. 2, has lodged a complaint with the city’s executive committee, saying the current election campaigning opportunities are extremely limited.

The election commissions of Minsk constituency No. 91 has denied registration to Mrs. Volha Kavalkova, activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, after her income tax declaration was found invalid, the BCD’s press-service reports.

MINSK, 22 August 2012 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission for the parliamentary elections to be held in Belarus on 23 September. The mission's deployment follows an invitation from the Belarusian authorities. As a participating State of the OSCE, Belarus has committed itself to invite ODIHR to observe its elections.

Three representatives of the Belarusian Popular Front have been registered as candidates: the BPF leader Aliaksei Yanukevich, Artsiom Liava and Yauhen Rybakou. Anatol Liabedzka, leader of the United Civil Party, has also been registered as a candidate for Parliament. However, Minsk constituency election commissions denied registration to a number of other pro-democratic hopefuls, including For Freedom leader Aliaksandr Milinkevich and the movement’s activist Mikalai Samaseika, as well as Mikhail Pashkevich, member of the Tell the Truth campaign.

Leanid Padbiaretski, member of the Tell the Truth civil campaign and Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) running for Parliament in Mahiliou constituency No. 84, has addressed the constituency’s election commission with a demand not to register pro-government potential candidate Uladizmir Vasilenka as candidate.

The majority of web-sites of government newspapers in Brest region are not covering the current election campaign, say activists of the Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections campaign.

As of 21 August, the Central Election Commission has registered 110 international observers, including 73 representing the CIS observation mission and 33 – the OSCE’s ODIHR.

The Court of Baranavichy fined last evening local human rights defender Siarhei Housha 1.5 mln. roubles after Judge Vasil Petryu found the observer guilty of "using vulgar words in public" while talking to chair of constituency election commission No. 5 Mrs. Tatsiana Latyshava back on 23 July.

Brest observer Uladzimir Vialichkin registered at local constituency election commission No. 2 has not been allowed attending the commission’s sitting where signatures submitted for potential candidates are expected to be verified.

The issue of Mahiliou-based “Vesnik Mahiliova” state-owned newspaper of 15 August features an article “The Secrets of Success Are Easy”, promoting Mrs. Liudmila Starastsina, head of local school running for Parliament in constituency No. 86.

Vitsebsk executive authorities have banned fifteen pickets applied for by local activists of the Conservative Christian Party “Belarusian Popular Front”, saying that campaigning for election boycott has nothing to do with the current elections.

The Kobryn-based “Narodnaya Trybuna” state-owned newspaper has launched a campaign of election advertising of Aliaksandr Zazulia, member of the House of Representatives who is running for Parliament in local constituency No. 12 again, despite the fact that the Electoral Code prohibits campaigning until the parliamentary hopefuls are officially registered as candidates.

Several independent observers registered in the constituency election commissions of Hrodna region will not be able to monitor the verification of signatures submitted for potential candidates’ nominations, after their applications were dismissed by local election officials.