Independent observers slam parliamentary by-election in Grodno as deeply flawed

2005-03-21 16:55:00

Minsk, 21 March. Independent observers noted multiple abuses in Sunday's parliamentary by-election in Grodno, slamming the vote as neither free nor democratic. The election was won by Sergei Maskevich, rector of Grodno State University, who reportedly gained 65.33 percent of the vote. Two opposition contenders, Sergei Antusevich of the Belarusian Popular Front and ex-MP Valery Frolov, trailed far behind with 14.22 and 12.4 percent, respectively. "There were massive violations," a coordinator of the 40-member team of observers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told BelaPAN. "Police officers were present at nearly all polling stations, although the Electoral Code bans them from doing this. After verbal consultations with the central election authorities, the district election commission in fact changed electoral regulations on the polling day, barring several members of local soviets from observing the vote." "The election cannot be recognized as free, democratic and complying with international standards," the monitor went on to say. Aleksandr Chigir, a member of the Bobruisk City Soviet, echoed the opinion, expressing fears that the district election commission might use the time left for its Monday session for further falsification. Poll workers are said to have done their utmost to keep independent reporters away from polling stations. In particular, a precinct commission attempted to bar out Olga Klaskovskaya, a staff writer with the independent daily Narodnaya Volya. "As soon as I entered the polling station located at the No. 1 gymnasium, a poll worker approached me and told me to leave the room. I was not let in under various pretexts," she told BelaPAN. The journalist was allowed to observe the vote only after she complained to Nikolai Lozovik, secretary of the central election commission, who intervened in the matter.