Election commission doesn’t allow the candidate to watch the vote count

The incident happened at the precinct No.12 of the Rakasouskaya constituency No.9 of Minsk.

The candidate for deputy Arciom Liava insisted on being in 1.5 metre from the table where ballot papers were counted. The commission offered a compromise – the observers’ tables were moved twice as close as before. However, this didn’t allow the observers to see the content of ballot papers, just the same.

The candidate for deputy moved towards the table for vote count, demonstratively moved his hands behind his back, and sincerely assured the commission that he won’t hinder it from doing its work as is required by the Election Code. However, after a long consulting by phone, the commission’s head Aksana Piechan put the question to vote on the removal of the candidate for deputy of the Rakasouskaya constituency from the voting precinct. The reason for removal was the candidate’s presence beside the table where the vote count was performed which hindered the commission from working.

According to the commission’s decision that gives rise to considerable doubt in what concerns its lawfulness, the candidate for deputy was removed by militia from the premise, and deprived of the possibility to observe the vote count process granted to him by the Belarusian legislation.

All news