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Former parliamentary candidate sues Brest city government over refusal to punish head of precinct election commission

Former parliamentary candidate Alyaksandr Melnik has brought a suit against the Brest City Executive Committee over its refusal to punish the head of a precinct election commission in September’s elections for the House of Representatives.

Mr. Melnik was prohibited from observing vote counting at a polling station inside City Hospital No. 1 in Brest on September 23. He asked the city authorities to punish Leanid Valabuyew, chief physician at the hospital who chaired the commission, for barring him from the vote count, but the city authorities refused to do so.

Mr. Melnik also complained to the city prosecutor’s office about the executive committee’s actions.

The opposition activist has been helped in his legal fight by the Movement for Freedom.

“Members of precinct election commissions must understand that irregularities are recorded and they will be held accountable for them sooner or later,” said Dzyanis Turchanyak, a coordinator of the opposition organization //BelaPAN