Aliaksandr Aheyeu, deputy chair of the Committee of State Control, who is running for Parliament in constituency No. 90 in the town of Shklou, has abused his power to force campaigners to secure the necessary amount of votes, says an anonymous member of his election group.

July 25th was the final day of registration of the initiative groups for signature collection in support of the candidates’ nomination. 85 initiative groups (in support of 15 potential candidates) were rejected registration. The number of registration denials this time is almost 4 times higher than during the previous parliamentary election. The overwhelming majority of the initiative groups in support of the oppositional candidates were registered.

Human rights defender Leanid Markhotka has not yet received a reply to his appeal of 16 July suggesting introducing changes to election campaigning restrictions imposed by the executive authorities of the town of Salihorsk.

Barysau human rights defender Aleh Matskevich has received a reply from the Central Election Commission head Lidziya Yarmoshyna, saying nothing of the essence of his complaint – an illegal decision taken by the members of constituency election commission No. 62.

On 26 July, Mazyr human rights defender Uladzimir Tseliapun received negative replies from local district executive committee and council concerning his application for holding a demonstration on 4 August to demand the release of Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski.

Siarzhuk Rusetski and Tamara Shchapiotkina, pro-democratic activists from the town of Biaroza, Brest region, have received a reply to their proposals on amending the electoral legislation.

Valiantsina Hlukhava, member of the initiative group of Speak the Truth activist Aksana Samuilava, who is running for Parliament in constituency No. 79, has not been allowed canvassing for votes inside a number of local hostels.

Human rights defender Ihar Lednik has petitioned the staff of AAT Ekran to annul their decision to nominate Viktar Huminski for the House of Representatives.

Hrodna member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Raman Yurhel has lodged statements with the Central Election Commission and the Prosecutor General’s Office, urging the high officials to investigate alleged violations by local election commission No. 48.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has refused to register initiative groups of former presidential candidates Statkevich and Mikhalevich.

The administration of Mahiliou-based hostel of the “Abldarbud” state-owned enterprise has not allowed canvassing for votes on its premises by Belarusian Popular Front activist Valiantsina Shchetnikava.

The administration of Baranavichy-based Central Market ordered to stop a canvassing picket staged at the market by local entrepreneur and potential candidate for Parliament Mikalai Charnavus.

The scope of legal entities authorized to nominate their representatives to constituency election commissions is logical and fair, says Mrs. Lidziya Yarmoshyna, head of the Central Election Commission, in her reply to a complaint by Mahiliou human rights defender Barys Bukhel.

85 (19 % of the total amount of nominations submitted) initiative groups have been denied registration in the current election campaign, which is considerably more than in the previous elections of 2008 (5 %) and 2004 (11 %), says Lidziya Yarmoshyna, chair of the Central Election Commission, at a meeting with Sergey Lebedev, head of the CIS’s observation mission.

The canvassing picket by the initiative group of potential candidate for Parliament, chairman of Zhlobin district executive committee Leanid Apanasiuk was staged next to a bus stop, which is prohibited by a decision of local authorities, Marat Afanasyeu, local leader of the United Civil Party of Belarus, reports.