BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
16/12/2010
Presidential Elections in Belarus Are Rigged & Falsified Even Before the Elections on December 19th!
Michael Batiukov
On December 15th, 2010 in Minsk Andrey Sannikov, a candidate for presidency, has lodged two legal applications to the Central Election Commission of Belarus with a demand to withdraw registration of Aleksandr Lukashenko as a presidential candidate, and to relieve from the office the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission Lidiya Yermoshyna.
Under the Law Yermoshyna cannot be the Chair of the Central Election Commission, in the same way as Lukashenko cannot be a candidate for presidency.
It is reminded in the statements of the candidate for presidency Andrey Sannikov, that on December 6-7, 2010 in the Palace of Republic in Minsk a so-called "All-Belarusian People?s Congress" was held.
This propagandistic event was organized in the period of the election campaign, and became a platform for almost 3 hour-long speech of one of the candidates for presidency, Lukashenko. This speech was broadcasted by all state-run TV channels, by radio, and was also published in all state-run newspapers. The other presidential candidates never had a chance like that. State-run TV stations, radio and newspapers are keeping silence about them...
Thus, a prescribed limit of air time for each presidential candidate (two times by 30 minutes) was exceeded, and the additional space in state newspapers was used illegally.
Besides, this event was held in the Palace of Republic, which is not on the list created by Minsk City Executive Committee including premises where meetings of presidential candidates with voters could be held. Second violation of the Law.
The meeting was held with the use of the administrative leverage of the executive power headed by Lukashenko. In particular, the organizing committee was headed by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sergei Sidorskiy, and the event was financed at the expense of budget money, and not from the electoral fund of the presidential candidate. Third violation of the Law.
As long as Lidiya Yermoshyna has taken part in the "All-Belarusian Congress", Andrey Sannikov demands to relieve her from office.
"European Belarus" leader reminds that sanctions of the European Union are in force against citizen Yermoshyna for rigging the results of the previous election and republican referendum. Yermoshyna herself has stated many times herself, that she is a member of Lukashenka?s team, which is inadmissible and illegal. Yermoshina should take independent position. Fourth violation of the Law.
"Rigging the election results is a grave crime, which distorts will expression of the nation. Belarusian citizens not only have a right to fight with the electoral fraud, but must stand against criminal falsifiers in every way. Under the Law Yermoshyna cannot be the chair of the Central Election Commission, in the same way as Lukashenko cannot be a candidate for presidency.
Yarmoshyna stated that she is a member of Lukashenko?s team, thus excluding any objectivity in actions of the CEC. But it was not enough, and during her working hours she went to the illegal "All-People?s Congress" support her candidate. Lukashenko used dozens millions dollars from the budget to hold the event in his support on October Square. According to the official reports, at the moment of holding this congress his electoral fund had about 13 million Belorussian roubles. It is clear that the "All-Belarusian Congress" was held not out of the electoral fund of the candidate for presidency Lukashenko, as it is required by the law. This is FIFTH VIOLATION of the LAW! Once again as always Lukashenko slipped his hand into the pocket of Belarusians for his mercenary ends. Both Yermoshyna and Lukashenko have confirmed once again that Belarusians must change this corrupt regime quickly," a candidate for presidency in Belarus Andrey Sannikov stated.
"A free and democratic election can really take place if two these characters mentioned above would leave the stage. Their participation makes the upcoming election illegal. It is simply an insult for the Belarusian nation, which deserves a better lot.
We, Belarusian citizens, under the Constitution have a right to change authorities and freely elect our leaders. Even in today?s Constitution formalizes the principle of priority of the international law over the internal one, and international law does not allow fraudulent elections. The law is on our side in these elections. People are waiting for changes, as they had never been waiting for them in the last 16 years of the dictatorship. And it means that we have a chance to celebrate the New Year in a completely different, democratic Belarus," - ended his speech Andrey Sannikov.
Source:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/205422
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