Pavel Shyshou, the head of a number of hostels including hostel in Tsimirazeu Street 11, required explanations from his subordinate, an activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) after learning that he was a member of the electoral team of prospective candidate Leanid Padbiaretski, and prohibited him to collect signatures in the hostel.
The head of the Barysau city organization of the United Civil Party Mikhail Vasiliieu received a letter from the tax inspection with the demand to present income and asset declaration for the last four years.
This time information about violation of the electoral legislation by the head of the department store Viktar Valiushytski was passed to the election commissions of Brest-Western election constituency #1 by one of his possible rivals, the head of the local branch of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Hramada) Hanna Kanius.
As soon as the head of the Pinsk organization of the Belarusian Popular Front Aliaksandr Ramanovich stated his intention to get nominated as a candidate for the Parliament at Pinsk election constituency #14, a denigration campaign was launched against him.
On 4 August Homel oppositionists who intended to take part in the upcoming parliamentary election as members of precinct election commissions faced a sudden obstacle: the administrations of city districts of Homel refused to accept their applications saying they had a day-off.
At about 11.50 a.m. the police detained the deputy head of the United Civil Party Leu Marholin and a member of his electoral team, Mikhail Vasiliieu near the large Barysau supermarket “Vesta”, where they were collecting signatures in support of Marholin's candidacy.
When the member of the United Civil Party Uladzimir Maliarchuk made the first attempt to pass the documents for the registration of his candidacy for the Parliament to the election commission of the Vileika constituency, he presented a copy of his party membership card.
General Conclusions - The period of candidates’ nomination continues from July 15th to August 13th. Initiative groups collect signatures during door-to-door and street picket activities. - Some candidates and members of initiative groups experience pressure from the authorities. We have registered cases of state officials hindering the work of pro-democratic initiative groups, as well as usage of administrative resource to the benefit of pr-governmental candidates.
The operation was conducted by officers of the “Typhoon” unit of the road police of the Vitsebsk region. In the evening of 2 August a car carrying stationery, bags and T-shirts with logos of “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” was stopped by the road police.