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Central election commission refuses to install webcams at polling stations

The central election commission has rejected a proposal by Syarhey Vaznyak, an activist of the “Tell the Truth!” movement, to install web cameras at polling stations in Belarus ahead of the March 18-23 local elections.

Mr. Vaznyak wrote in his letter to the commission that the movement was ready to pay for the purchase of the equipment in electoral districts where its candidates were on the ballot.

In its reply, the central election commission says that the Electoral Code does not provide for equipping polling stations with webcams or for buying such equipment with citizens’ or organizations’ funds.

As Mr. Vaznyak told BelaPAN, his proposal was aimed at ensuring the stability of the electoral process and putting an end to ballot-rigging at polling stations.

“When you’re standing in front of a webcam, you’re unlikely to engage in ballot-stuffing or march into polling stations together with a crowd of university students and order them to vote early,” he said.

Mr. Vaznyak described the central election commission’s decision as predictable and accused it of covering up violations of electoral regulations.

He insisted that there was a legal basis for accepting his proposal. Under the central election commission’s directive, legal entities and individuals are free to contribute to a special off-budgetary fund for financing Belarus local elections, he said. The “Tell the Truth!” movement is ready to make such a contribution if the central election commission promises to spend the money on webcams, he said.

Two web cameras were installed at polling stations in Minsk and the Slutsk district ahead of the presidential election in December 2010. Live stream footage from the cameras was available through BelaPAN’s online newspaper Belorusskiye Novosti (naviny.by).

Speaking at his post-election news conference, Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed that the presidential poll had been completely transparent. “Our non-state media that are not friendly toward the government, to put it mildly, wanted to broadcast live from polling stations, they were allowed to broadcast,” he said. “Video cameras were installed. You’re welcome to eavesdrop day and night. There was such openness and transparency that people were already getting confused and wondering whether this was an election of reality show ‘Behind the Glass.’”