Who will protect ballot boxes from falsification?
Every evening starting from December 14 ballot boxes in early voting centres will be watched by … By whom? The CEC and the Ministry of Internal Affairs claim that they will be guarded by policemen only! Opposition candidates are going to organize night shifts of independent observers. "Despite all the outward liberalization, there are no positive changes in the crucial issues of the election campaign, - thinks a coordinator of the campaign “For Fair Election” Syarhei Kalyakin who sent a candidates’ joint appeal to the CEC. – The procedure of the poll should be open and transparent. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that there will be no manipulation with electors’ voting papers if they take part in the early voting. It is almost unreal unless there is a possibility to assure their safety”.
The Central Election Commission asked the deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Yauhen Paludzen to give an explanation to Kalyakin.
"According to the methodical recommendations of the Central Election Commission, employees of the Department of the Interior are responsible for guarding election centres. The centres will be guarded starting from the moment election committees will get voting papers”, - he reported.
However, not only the Ministry of Internal Affairs read the methodical recommendations of the CEC:
"The recommendations the deputy Minister referred to indicate that heads of election committees are responsible for the storage of ballot boxes, - noted a civil activist Tatstsyana Protska. – The document contains no information about the police or any other people responsible for it. That’s page 38.
It will not impede the election process if other people would like to guard the ballot box, – she continued. On the contrary, the electors’ trust to district election committees will increase. So why not allow people to watch the ballot box if they are ready to take on the responsibility?”
According to Syarhei Kalyakin, heads of district election committees are able to change protocols and announce any ordered result of the early election in the current situation:
"Only an employee of the District Department the Interior watches the room where ballot boxes are stored during the early voting. Neither members of the district election committee, nor observers can control the storage of voting papers used by electors who take part in the early voting”.
The Central Election Commission understood Kalyakin. However, it was difficult to read through the legal writing of the candidates’ petition.
"The protection of election centres conducted by the police is a world practice, - explained the CEC chairperson Lidziya Yarmoshyna. – It is a legal practice existing since my childhood. Then I grew up and started taking part in elections myself. You will encounter it no matter where you go - to the West or to the East – you will meet policemen in election centres”.
It is okay to have policemen in election centres. We have a different question, - representatives of opposition candidates continued the discussion. Who else will be able to approach ballot boxes when election centres close?
"No other unauthorized persons will be able to do it”, assured Yauhen Paludzen.
"What about "authorized" persons? — asked Yury Hadyka, a CEC member granted an advisory vote. — For example, the head or the deputy head of the election committee? Are they unauthorized?"
"The policeman may be checked by employees of the Department of the Interior and by the head of the election committee. They can check him. However, it is usually done by the Department of the Interior. Members of election committees can watch ballot boxes in the daytime. I cannot recall any facts when something could be dumped into the box or somebody visited election centres at night”, - replied Yauhen Paludzen.
Thus, heads of election committees have access to the centre 24/7. Unlike independent observers. Nevertheless, Lidziya Yarmoshyna thinks that night shifts are impossible in election centres:
"As a matter of fact, it is suggested that observers should have additional rights and be authorized to watch policemen. Not to mention the fact that observers will also have to be watched by someone!”
A pejorative summary of the candidates’ petition sent to the Central Election Commission was pronounced literally half a minute later:
Lidziya Yarmoshyna: "I think the application uses the rule of contraries - some distorted logic assuming that everyone is a fraud and a falsifier. It seems to be a personal world outlook of the people who sent the appeal”.
Naturally, the voting has to be unanimous after such a conclusion.
So, who will have access to ballot boxes during the early voting when all election centres are closed? Firstly, a policeman. Secondly, heads of Departments of the Interior, who will be able to conduct a check-up. Thirdly, heads of election committees. And no observers.
As soon as it was made clear, the campaign “For Fair Election” decided to park observers’ cars near the entrances to election centres for early voting. They will be able to see everyone entering election centres at night this way. Of course, it will be difficult to spend all the cold nights in cars. Furthermore, it is not possible to park a car near some schools. It means that driving inspectors will be able to remove the cars parked near election centres for certain reasons.
The Central Election Commission asked the deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Yauhen Paludzen to give an explanation to Kalyakin.
"According to the methodical recommendations of the Central Election Commission, employees of the Department of the Interior are responsible for guarding election centres. The centres will be guarded starting from the moment election committees will get voting papers”, - he reported.
However, not only the Ministry of Internal Affairs read the methodical recommendations of the CEC:
"The recommendations the deputy Minister referred to indicate that heads of election committees are responsible for the storage of ballot boxes, - noted a civil activist Tatstsyana Protska. – The document contains no information about the police or any other people responsible for it. That’s page 38.
It will not impede the election process if other people would like to guard the ballot box, – she continued. On the contrary, the electors’ trust to district election committees will increase. So why not allow people to watch the ballot box if they are ready to take on the responsibility?”
According to Syarhei Kalyakin, heads of district election committees are able to change protocols and announce any ordered result of the early election in the current situation:
"Only an employee of the District Department the Interior watches the room where ballot boxes are stored during the early voting. Neither members of the district election committee, nor observers can control the storage of voting papers used by electors who take part in the early voting”.
The Central Election Commission understood Kalyakin. However, it was difficult to read through the legal writing of the candidates’ petition.
"The protection of election centres conducted by the police is a world practice, - explained the CEC chairperson Lidziya Yarmoshyna. – It is a legal practice existing since my childhood. Then I grew up and started taking part in elections myself. You will encounter it no matter where you go - to the West or to the East – you will meet policemen in election centres”.
It is okay to have policemen in election centres. We have a different question, - representatives of opposition candidates continued the discussion. Who else will be able to approach ballot boxes when election centres close?
"No other unauthorized persons will be able to do it”, assured Yauhen Paludzen.
"What about "authorized" persons? — asked Yury Hadyka, a CEC member granted an advisory vote. — For example, the head or the deputy head of the election committee? Are they unauthorized?"
"The policeman may be checked by employees of the Department of the Interior and by the head of the election committee. They can check him. However, it is usually done by the Department of the Interior. Members of election committees can watch ballot boxes in the daytime. I cannot recall any facts when something could be dumped into the box or somebody visited election centres at night”, - replied Yauhen Paludzen.
Thus, heads of election committees have access to the centre 24/7. Unlike independent observers. Nevertheless, Lidziya Yarmoshyna thinks that night shifts are impossible in election centres:
"As a matter of fact, it is suggested that observers should have additional rights and be authorized to watch policemen. Not to mention the fact that observers will also have to be watched by someone!”
A pejorative summary of the candidates’ petition sent to the Central Election Commission was pronounced literally half a minute later:
Lidziya Yarmoshyna: "I think the application uses the rule of contraries - some distorted logic assuming that everyone is a fraud and a falsifier. It seems to be a personal world outlook of the people who sent the appeal”.
Naturally, the voting has to be unanimous after such a conclusion.
So, who will have access to ballot boxes during the early voting when all election centres are closed? Firstly, a policeman. Secondly, heads of Departments of the Interior, who will be able to conduct a check-up. Thirdly, heads of election committees. And no observers.
As soon as it was made clear, the campaign “For Fair Election” decided to park observers’ cars near the entrances to election centres for early voting. They will be able to see everyone entering election centres at night this way. Of course, it will be difficult to spend all the cold nights in cars. Furthermore, it is not possible to park a car near some schools. It means that driving inspectors will be able to remove the cars parked near election centres for certain reasons.
