Yarmoshyna: Observers who want to stay overnight are provocators
The CEC Chairperson has told when the election results will be known and whom the presidential candidates will become in the evening on December 19.
The CEC Chairperson has told when the election results will be known and whom the presidential candidates will become in the evening on December 19, and explained why transparent ballot boxes do not guarantee transparency of election.
The election campaign goes quietly and without serious violations. As for the complaints which, for example, observers send to the CEC, they are nothing more but a provocation. The Central Election Commission's Chairperson Lidzia Yarmoshyna has told this at the opening ceremony of the CEC informational center in the Palace of Republic.
Lidzia Yarmoshyna: “As for statements that the enterprises administrations have no right to recommend or advise to vote early, this is just an interpretation of the electoral legislation, which is beneficial for those people who criticise this position. Every citizen and every organization has a right to agitate for participation in the election, not just presidential candidates. So these political forces take too much on them I think”.
Lidzia Yarmoshyna: “The most frequent complaint is that the observers are not allowed to stay overnight at election precincts. However, no one is supposed to provide them such an opportunity as the Central Commission has adopted a clear resolution on this issue. Thus, all the attempts to stay overnight in the premises of election precincts to guard the ballot-boxes are nothing more than planned provocation. Moreover, the people who do it know they break the law”.
According to Yarmoshyna, the CEC has also received two appeals with regard to forcible early voting. She said they were being checked. However, even if these facts prove true, Yarmoshyna said it could hardly be considered a violation. Lidzia Yarmoshyna: “As for statements that the enterprises administrations have no right to recommend or advise to vote early, this is just an interpretation of the electoral legislation, which is beneficial for those people who criticise this position. Every citizen and every organization has a right to agitate for participation in the election, not just presidential candidates. So these political forces take too much on them I think”.
There have been no more complaints on any other violations. Thus, the CEC Chairperson is convinced the election campaign goes quietly, despite the attempts of certain presidential candidates and their supporters to sharpen the situation.
She also gave her estimation to the appeals of the certain candidates to come out to the Kastrychnitskaya Square at 20.00 on December 19.
Lidzia Yarmoshyna: “There will be no more presidential candidates at 8 p.m. on December 19 after the election precincts are closed. Of course, if no second round is appointed. Thus, all the pre-electoral events and meetings which are covered by the norms of the electoral legislation, can no longer be conducted after 8 p.m. If anyone wanted to conduct a civil event or a meeting, he should have addressed to Minks city executive committee in due course and ask permission to make an action. Moreover, this should have been done 15 days before the planned event”.
However, she said no applications had been submitted to Minsk city executive committee. Therefore, according to Yarmoshyna, all the street actions on December 19 will be illegal. Especially at Kastrychnitskaya Square, as it is prohibited to conduct any civil and political actions there at all, even the pro-authoritative ones. She noted that the parade on the Independence Day was no longer held at Kastrychnitskaya Square, but near the memorial "Minsk -Hero City".
However, she said no applications had been submitted to Minsk city executive committee. Therefore, according to Yarmoshyna, all the street actions on December 19 will be illegal. Especially at Kastrychnitskaya Square, as it is prohibited to conduct any civil and political actions there at all, even the pro-authoritative ones. She noted that the parade on the Independence Day was no longer held at Kastrychnitskaya Square, but near the memorial "Minsk -Hero City".
The journalists asked once again why the CEC refused to provide transparent ballot boxes to all the election precincts.
Lidzia Yarmoshyna: “We shouldn't equalize transparency of ballot-boxes and transparency of the election. You know, in such case we should understand the concept of openness of the election process too literarily. As our legislation says nothing about the material for making ballot-boxes, this discussion gets political, and is not connected with the election process”.
To the opinion of the CEC Chairperson, the best guarantee from violations and falsifications is that the ballot-boxes should be sealed and guarded by policemen. As for the rumours that all the falsifications occur at night at the election precincts, she said they had been invented by those who prepared for failure.
As for the election results, Lidzia Yarmoshyna is convinced that "the tendencies of the voters' wills" will be known by the middle of the day. At this very time, according to Lidzia Yarmoshyna, the voting results at closed precincts, like hospitals, sanatoriums, military units, will become known. The CEC members will declare these tendencies to journalists at 20.00.
Lidzia Yarmoshyna: “Counting of votes starts there when the last voter included in the list casts his vote. It happens approximately in the middle of the day on the election day. These numbers will not be revealed till 20.00, but we will reveal them on 20.00. Mass media will then know the tendency upon which voters express their wills”.
Preliminary election results will be known approximately at 304 a.m. on December 20.
The CEC Chairperson did not deny there might be violations from the side of the election commissions members. However, she advised to try to understand this as "about 100 thousand citizens are involved in the procedure, all of them are volunteers and can make mistakes”.
As for the election results, Lidzia Yarmoshyna is convinced that "the tendencies of the voters' wills" will be known by the middle of the day. At this very time, according to Lidzia Yarmoshyna, the voting results at closed precincts, like hospitals, sanatoriums, military units, will become known. The CEC members will declare these tendencies to journalists at 20.00.
Lidzia Yarmoshyna: “Counting of votes starts there when the last voter included in the list casts his vote. It happens approximately in the middle of the day on the election day. These numbers will not be revealed till 20.00, but we will reveal them on 20.00. Mass media will then know the tendency upon which voters express their wills”.
The CEC Chairperson did not deny there might be violations from the side of the election commissions members. However, she advised to try to understand this as "about 100 thousand citizens are involved in the procedure, all of them are volunteers and can make mistakes”.
