Opposition lacks observers even on election day

The European Radio for Belarus has learned about it unexpectedly when we asked Alexander Bukhvostov, UDF’s election observance coordinator whether the UDF was going to help candidate Viktar Kavalchuk who has only 15 monitors for 39 polling stations. Mr Bukhvostov is not sure if there are enough observers to cover even those polling stations where opposition candidates are registered.

“We do not cover all the constituencies. This depends on the candidates themselves how they can organize the monitoring,” Bukhvostov said.

ERB: Do observers work at all the constituencies where opposition candidates are standing?

Bukhvostov: “Practically yes”.

ERB: Practically means not everywhere?

Bukhvostov: “Yes, I think that… I do not have this information”.

Alexander Bukhvostov today said at a press conference in Minsk, a total of 2400 observers were trained by the United Pro-Democracy Forces.

Meanwhile, Vintsuk Vyachorka who pulled out of the race has nevertheless dispatched his observers to the polling stations. The European Radio for Belarus asked if Mr Vyachorka could share his observers with other opposition or independent candidates who have a lack of monitors. The politician shared most of his observers, but he is not ready to offer help to all the candidates.

“I dispatched observers to some polling stations, because I sent most of my observers to the constituency where Valiantsina Sviatskaya is running. Their aim is to monitor the actual turnout”, Vyachorka said.

He does not care about the fate of Viktar Kavalchuk, because the latter announced he was independent of any political parties. “This is a problem of Kavalchuk who keep saying that he does not depend on parties, the authorities and the opposition. That’s his problem to prove that he has a bigger potential than political parties. He challenged the political parties. I shared my people with those who do not hide their party membership”, Vyachorka said.