English

Voter turnout did not exceed 30 percent in Mahilyow, observers say

Only some 30 percent of the registered voters in Mahilyow cast their ballots in the March 18-23 elections for local soviets (councils) of deputies, Uladzimir Krawchanka, a coordinator of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee's election observation campaign, told BelaPAN.

The activist said that he had drawn the conclusion after receiving reports from election observers at six polling stations in the regional capital in eastern Belarus.

"According to the precinct election commissions, there were fewer voters at the polling stations on the main voting day than during early voting. But there are dormitories in all of the areas and people were simply herded there," said Mr. Krawchanka.

He noted that dead people had been included in voter lists, while a suspiciously high number of people had cast their votes from home in mobile ballot boxes. "Only five people voted from home where poll workers were accompanied by observers. Poll workers who were not accompanied said that 39 people had voted from home in one hour," Mr. Krawchanka said.

Monitors at the polling stations had no opportunity to properly observe vote counting. At some polling stations the election commissions did not even bother to display vote count reports.

The elections cannot be described as free and fair, Mr. Krawchanka concluded.

Aleh Aksyonaw, a coordinator of an election monitoring group called Prava Vybaru (Right of Choice), echoed the opinion, saying that voter turnout had been overstated.

Precinct election commissions denied observers access to voter lists, according to Mr. Aksyonaw. "Even the name of the election commission's chairperson was kept secret at some polling stations," he said, condemning the elections as non-transparent.