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The Czech social democrats visited Beloozersk

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September 8, 2004
September 6, the delegation of the Czech social democrats visited Belooziorsk and supported the colleagues from Belarus which participate in elections to the House of Representatives. Social democrats of Czech Republic were represented in Belarus by Anna Churdova – a member of the Czech parliament and a member of the Council of Europe, the international secretary of the ruling Czech social democratic party Milash Balaban. Arrival of social democrats was also connected to desire of visitors to organize a cooperation between cities of Czech Republic and Belarus. It was informed in special fax sent to a local “vertical” on August, 30, which was addressed to the chairman of Belooziorsk’ city council of deputies V.Dombrovsky.

However, as usually, the local “vertical” didn’t find a free time for a meeting. Deputy of Belooziorsk city council, member of the MSD and the BSDP(NH) Natalia Okoronko makes comments of this situation: “In the morning on September, 6 I called to Dombrovsky and asked him to meet with the Czech delegation, he answered, that he simply does not have a free time as now he is engaged in repairing of a stadium, and it is very important problem for the city. In the last autumn when the city was visited by the Swedish delegation in the head with a member of European Parliament Sicilia Vikstrim, our mayor did not have a free time too. May be he is really a very busy person?”

The Czech visitors expressed solidarity to Natalia Okoronko, a pretender for a deputy mandate on Berioza’s election district who submitted documents to Berioza’s election commission by two ways: by means of collection of signatures and by decision of the BSDP(NH). Natalia is already under the pressure of the authorities. August 27, the chairman of Berioza’s executive committee I.Malejtin offended Natalia publicly during a plenary meeting of teachers, and he broke the law – he carried out antipropaganda, dividing candidates to good and bad, oppositional ones. The situation with infringement of the Elective code of Belarus in the Berioza’s election district № 8 was described in special paper submitted to the Minsk office of OSCE.

During the meeting with members of the BSDP(NH) and the MSD the Czech visitors discussed problems which excite voters, acquainted with the city and visited a school №1 which is situated on the territory of the election district where on March 2, 2003 Natalia Okoronko had been elected as a deputy.

Anna Churdova wished Natalia a victory on the elections. She liked the small, cosy city of Belooziorsk and open Belarus people. The only thing that remained not clear is why the local vertical is afraid of the international contacts. In fact Belarus is geographically in the center of Europe and sooner or later, it will be a full member of the European community.

Resolutions

The resolution to the citizens of Molodechno city

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Dear citizens of Molodechno!

September 7, 2004, in day of mourning of the Russian people, which became as the day of grief for all people of the planet, Alexander Lukashenko had declared a referendum on a question of prolongation of his power.

The referendum is appointed to October 17 – in 40 days after the announcement.

We, representatives of the public and political organizations of the city, declare the resolute protest to changing of the constitution and laws to please separate heads.

Proceeding from the data of public opinion’s poll made by various sociological institutes and dialogue with citizens of city, we declare, that today more than 55% of the population of the country oppose A. Lukashenko’s promotions for 3-rd term, 20% were not determined yet. We are majority! The only condition for the “victory” on the referendum for the authority is a falsification of results of voting.

In this connection we make a decision – to create initiative group of citizens of the city whose purpose is informing the population on a course of the company of a referendum, the organization of observation of voting, not admitting of falsifications of the results.

More than 400 people were elected to the election commissions of the city. We know that among them the overwhelming majority are fair and decent people. Falsifications, as well as any crime, are being made by close circle of persons. Do not become the accomplices of their crime! Do not give them an opportunity to deceive you and people. We trust in your courage.

Lukashenko challenged to a society. We accept this call.

We are capable to get more votes, than the authority can falsify! Do not be outside! We call to each citizen of the city, all public organizations to join the initiative group to defend our opinion, our votes, our honor and our future together!

BNF “Adradzhenne”(Molodechno)
The European coalition “Free Belarus “(Molodechno)
United Civil Party (Molodechno)
Young social democrats (Molodechno)
Right protective center “Viasna” (Molodechno)
RPO “Belarusian Helsinki Committee “(Molodechno)

Resolutions

Summary of Polling about Referendum in Belarus Conducted from October 15-17, 2004

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REFERENDUM

The final result of the referendum in Belarus is 48,4% voting age population voted “yes”. This is below the fifty percent threshold required to change the Belarusian Constitution and is outside the +/-1% margin of error for surveys of this sample size.

During the Early Voting Period 21,3% of registered voters said they voted. Among them 62,6% voted “yes”. This means that 13,33% of all register voters cast their ballots in favour of the referendum during the early voting period. Self reported turnout during the early voting plus Sunday was 87,3% (This figure is the highest possible level of turnout based on national representative sample interviewing. A lower level of turnout would only decrease the level of “yes” votes among all registered voters and a higher level would be extraordinarily unlikely). This means that on Sunday 66% of all registered voters took part in the referendum.

According to the Exit Polling conducted on Sunday, October 17, 53,1% of participating voters voted “yes”, 28,55% said they voted “no”, 1.03% spoiled the ballot, 0,69% voted exclusively in the parliamentary elections, and 16,63% did not answer how they voted. This means that 35.04% of all registered voters voted “yes” on Sunday.

During the Early Voting polling interviews were conducted in twenty randomly selected districts throughout Belarus in order to provide for a balanced national sample on the referendum question 19 205 voters were interviewed.

During Exit Polling conducted on Sunday 18 397 voters where interviewed at the polling station after voting in the same twenty randomly selected districts. The final results are based on 37 602 interviews of voting aged residents of these districts.

 

Action of protest in Minsk

October 21, 2004
On October 18th, 19th and 20th there are protest actions in Minsk against results of the referendum and elections to the House of Representatives. Actions of opposition are held at the Octobed Square in Minsk and are accompanied by detaining participants by OMON (special police). The most mass action was held on October 18th that gathered about 3000 people, mainly young people. Now judging the participants in the Court is going on. Judges of the Lenin district sentence them mainly to imprisonment from 5 up to 15 days at the Okrestina street. There are no MSD members among detained people.

On October 19th the leader of the Belarusian social democratic Party (Narodnaya Gramada) was detained. On October 20th by the Lenin district Court according to Administrative breaking Code he was sentenced to 10 days of imprisonment. One more leader of the opposition Party Anatoliy Lebedka (UCP) now is in the hospital. He was detained also on October 19th during the action of protest and was strongly beaten. Cranial trauma, beaten kidneys and broken ribs was the result of it.

Members of the BSDP (NG) now are preparing the number of pickets near the prison at Okrestino-str., where the leader of the Party is.

 

Results of registration of candidates

September 20, 2004
September, 16 the registered candidates for deputies of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus got their certificates. Not all nominees of the political parties passed a stage of collection of signatures. For this day we have the following from the parties for 110 sits in the parliament: The Belarusian Popular Front – 32, The Belarusian Social Democratic Party – 28, The United Civil Party – 27, The Party of Communists of Belarus – 24, The Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada – 8, The Labour Party – 2. The Block “Young Belarus” and Group “Republic” have 2 candidates each. Currently some unregistered candidates submitted their claims to courts, so the number of the candidates can change in near future.

From 8 candidates, nenbers of the MSD, only 3 were registered. So an agitatation campaign will be continued by Akaronka Natalla, Gorbachev Leonid and Slepukhin Valery.