Electoral commission carries ballot boxes into another room, keeps observers out in Minsk (VIDEO)
Observers have spotted stacks of ballot papers from inside early-voting boxes, but the electoral commission chairman decides to shift ballot boxes in order to conduct vote count in another locked room in this exclusive video. Wonders began taking place before Election Dayat the polling station No 3 in the building of Secondary School No 180 in Minsk. The electoral commission and the observers at the polling station had absolutely different numbers of voters who had taken part in early voting.
"For three days when I was observing, the counted number of people matched the numbers in the commission's protocol. But, on the last day of early voting -- Saturday, the observer counted 56 people against 233 officially announced. Moreover, none of commission members could confirm that on that day there was a huge inflow of people compared to the day before", says observer Volha Penyaz.
The huge discrepancy in the number of voters is confirmed by Yauhenia Kuzmina who observed on Saturday: "I did not go out even for a minute, sitting at the polling station till it was closed... I went out for lunch only, but nobody was voting at that time, because the ballot box was sealed. But, the number of people who voted on that day differed by 177 from the official data"
Commission chairman wants to chase observers 10 meters off
Compromise: observers stay 4-5 meters away from the tables
At the beginning of the vote-count procedure, commission chairman Raman Khmel objected to observers standing 3-4 meters near the table. He insisted on 10 meters.
Under a compromise, the observers stood 4-5 meters off the table.
The scandal broke out, when a ballot box from early voting was opened. Inside, there were ballot papers in stacks like 4-5 or more papers in every folded stack. The commission chairman used his hands to toss them.
Folded stacks of ballot papers from an early-voting box. Seconds 22-32: commission chairman is seen shaking the stacked ballot papers. Seconds 34-44: a commission member displays a folded stack of ballot papers
According to commission member Raman Arlou, all of those ballots were marked for Lukashenka.
Raman Arlou: "There were folded stacks of ballot papers (5-10 in every stack). Then, the commission chairman stopped counting, asked male commission members to take their seats and invited women to count".
The commission counted nearly 90 percent of ballot papers, marked for Lukashenka, in the early-voting box. Raman comments on the discrepancies in the numbers of early voters between the data from observers and the official protocol.
Raman Arlou: "Observers can make mistakes, but not by four times on the last days of early voting".
Observer from Belaya Rus, Dzmitry: "I noticed these hand movements by the commission chairman [scattering the stacks of ballot papers]. It seemed to me that I saw stacked ballots."
More interesting things occurred later. After the commission member talked to someone on the phone, he raised the question of continuing the vote count from the main ballot box in another locked room!
Boxes with the ballots cast on Election Day are being carried into a locked room. Obsevers are shocked.
According to Raman Khmel, they had to count behind closed doors, because the observers discredited themselve -- a claim that was never justified or explained.
Euroradio journalist not allowed inside
Only one member of the electoral commission, Raman Arlou, voted against locking up in a separate room to count votes. One commission member abstained.
Observer Dzmitry Kavalgin: "They became so impudent that they threw stacks -- not just some ballot papers -- into ballot boxes... And when the commission chairman decided to lock up in a separate room, having consulted someone on the phone, this was a huge mistake. That was simply a circus!"
Final figures: ballot papers cast for candidates, including the early voting which officially accounted for over 300 ballots. On Election Day, December 19, nearly 40 percent of people voted for Lukashenka at this particular polling station.
"For three days when I was observing, the counted number of people matched the numbers in the commission's protocol. But, on the last day of early voting -- Saturday, the observer counted 56 people against 233 officially announced. Moreover, none of commission members could confirm that on that day there was a huge inflow of people compared to the day before", says observer Volha Penyaz.
The huge discrepancy in the number of voters is confirmed by Yauhenia Kuzmina who observed on Saturday: "I did not go out even for a minute, sitting at the polling station till it was closed... I went out for lunch only, but nobody was voting at that time, because the ballot box was sealed. But, the number of people who voted on that day differed by 177 from the official data"
Commission chairman wants to chase observers 10 meters off
Compromise: observers stay 4-5 meters away from the tables
At the beginning of the vote-count procedure, commission chairman Raman Khmel objected to observers standing 3-4 meters near the table. He insisted on 10 meters.
Under a compromise, the observers stood 4-5 meters off the table.
The scandal broke out, when a ballot box from early voting was opened. Inside, there were ballot papers in stacks like 4-5 or more papers in every folded stack. The commission chairman used his hands to toss them.
Folded stacks of ballot papers from an early-voting box. Seconds 22-32: commission chairman is seen shaking the stacked ballot papers. Seconds 34-44: a commission member displays a folded stack of ballot papers
According to commission member Raman Arlou, all of those ballots were marked for Lukashenka.
Raman Arlou: "There were folded stacks of ballot papers (5-10 in every stack). Then, the commission chairman stopped counting, asked male commission members to take their seats and invited women to count".
The commission counted nearly 90 percent of ballot papers, marked for Lukashenka, in the early-voting box. Raman comments on the discrepancies in the numbers of early voters between the data from observers and the official protocol.
Raman Arlou: "Observers can make mistakes, but not by four times on the last days of early voting".
Observer from Belaya Rus, Dzmitry: "I noticed these hand movements by the commission chairman [scattering the stacks of ballot papers]. It seemed to me that I saw stacked ballots."
More interesting things occurred later. After the commission member talked to someone on the phone, he raised the question of continuing the vote count from the main ballot box in another locked room!
Boxes with the ballots cast on Election Day are being carried into a locked room. Obsevers are shocked.
According to Raman Khmel, they had to count behind closed doors, because the observers discredited themselve -- a claim that was never justified or explained.
Euroradio journalist not allowed inside
Only one member of the electoral commission, Raman Arlou, voted against locking up in a separate room to count votes. One commission member abstained.
Observer Dzmitry Kavalgin: "They became so impudent that they threw stacks -- not just some ballot papers -- into ballot boxes... And when the commission chairman decided to lock up in a separate room, having consulted someone on the phone, this was a huge mistake. That was simply a circus!"
Final figures: ballot papers cast for candidates, including the early voting which officially accounted for over 300 ballots. On Election Day, December 19, nearly 40 percent of people voted for Lukashenka at this particular polling station.
