Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MINSK132
2006-02-08 09:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:
PARTNERSHIP ANONYMOUSLY REPORTS FIRST ELECTION
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C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000132
SIPDIS
KIEV FOR USAID
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL BO
SUBJECT: PARTNERSHIP ANONYMOUSLY REPORTS FIRST ELECTION
OBSERVATIONS
REF: A. A) 05 MINSK 1437
B. B) MINSK 0009
C. C) MINSK 0114
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR GEORGE KROL FOR REASONS
1.4 (B,D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000132
SIPDIS
KIEV FOR USAID
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL BO
SUBJECT: PARTNERSHIP ANONYMOUSLY REPORTS FIRST ELECTION
OBSERVATIONS
REF: A. A) 05 MINSK 1437
B. B) MINSK 0009
C. C) MINSK 0114
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR GEORGE KROL FOR REASONS
1.4 (B,D)
1. (C) Summary: Despite potentially facing criminal charges
for reporting any information that may discredit Belarus,
civil initiative Partnership anonymously sent via email a
report detailing the results of the first phase of its
long-term election observation. The report, which covers
January 1-20, describes specific incidents of GOB pressure on
nomination signature collectors and irregularities in the
formulation of territorial commissions in addition to
reporting on the general election process and the relative
amount of coverage candidates receive in the mass media. End
Summary.
2. (C) Despite recent amendments to the criminal code that
make it prohibitively dangerous to report any information
that may discredit Belarus (ref A),civil initiative
Partnership anonymously emailed its first report covering
January 1-20 election observations to its newsletter
subscribers. (Note: On January 4, Partnership director
Nikolay Astreiko informed Emboffs that four detailed reports
on election observations from January until March would be a
main component of Partnership's long term observation plan
(ref B). Astreiko told Emboffs he hopes the independent
media will pick up the reports and distribute the information
in them as widely as possible.)
What Did Partnership See? Some Specifics from the Report
-------------- --------------
3. (C) Partnership reported generally on the large amount of
airtime that Lukashenko received on state media as compared
to the opposition candidates, government suppression of
independent media, and violations and irregularities in
commission formulation and signature collection. While most
of what Partnership reported was covered in independent media
sources and human rights groups, Partnership's report offered
several new specific insights on the violations in the
election campaign.
4. (C) In the report, Partnership stated that out of the
2,124 members of the 165 recently created territorial
commissions, only one commissioner is from a party (the
Belarus Popular Front) that supports the 10 Coalition
candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich. The report further stated
that GOB never made public the complete list of
commissioners, where the commissioners worked, or the process
by which they were nominated to the commissions.
5. (C) The report also contained specific examples of the
pressure the GOB placed on initiative group members during
the signature collection process. According to the report,
members of Milinkevich's and Poznyak's initiative groups were
detained by police and administratively punished by the
courts for collecting signatures in Minsk and Pinsk. The
report described situations where university officials denied
initiative group members access to student dormitories and
pressured students to sign nomination forms in support for
President Lukashenko.
Comment
--------------
6. (C) Even though the report did not indicate its author and
was sent out from an email address not connected with the
civil initiative, the document was easily identified as the
work of Partnership, which is the largest and most organized
domestic observation group in Belarus. The report, however,
was not posted on Partnership's website as originally
promised to Emboffs by Astreiko, perhaps due to the fear of
punishment under the amendments to the Criminal Code for
spreading "false" information about Belarus. Post notes the
quality and detail in this report is well below that of
Partnership's 2004 election coverage, likely because of GOB
pressures and threats to activists. Regardless, Partnership,
along with international observers (ref C) will play an
important role in highlighting the many examples of election
fraud the GOB will most certainly use to ensure a Lukashenko
victory.
Krol
SIPDIS
KIEV FOR USAID
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL BO
SUBJECT: PARTNERSHIP ANONYMOUSLY REPORTS FIRST ELECTION
OBSERVATIONS
REF: A. A) 05 MINSK 1437
B. B) MINSK 0009
C. C) MINSK 0114
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR GEORGE KROL FOR REASONS
1.4 (B,D)
1. (C) Summary: Despite potentially facing criminal charges
for reporting any information that may discredit Belarus,
civil initiative Partnership anonymously sent via email a
report detailing the results of the first phase of its
long-term election observation. The report, which covers
January 1-20, describes specific incidents of GOB pressure on
nomination signature collectors and irregularities in the
formulation of territorial commissions in addition to
reporting on the general election process and the relative
amount of coverage candidates receive in the mass media. End
Summary.
2. (C) Despite recent amendments to the criminal code that
make it prohibitively dangerous to report any information
that may discredit Belarus (ref A),civil initiative
Partnership anonymously emailed its first report covering
January 1-20 election observations to its newsletter
subscribers. (Note: On January 4, Partnership director
Nikolay Astreiko informed Emboffs that four detailed reports
on election observations from January until March would be a
main component of Partnership's long term observation plan
(ref B). Astreiko told Emboffs he hopes the independent
media will pick up the reports and distribute the information
in them as widely as possible.)
What Did Partnership See? Some Specifics from the Report
-------------- --------------
3. (C) Partnership reported generally on the large amount of
airtime that Lukashenko received on state media as compared
to the opposition candidates, government suppression of
independent media, and violations and irregularities in
commission formulation and signature collection. While most
of what Partnership reported was covered in independent media
sources and human rights groups, Partnership's report offered
several new specific insights on the violations in the
election campaign.
4. (C) In the report, Partnership stated that out of the
2,124 members of the 165 recently created territorial
commissions, only one commissioner is from a party (the
Belarus Popular Front) that supports the 10 Coalition
candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich. The report further stated
that GOB never made public the complete list of
commissioners, where the commissioners worked, or the process
by which they were nominated to the commissions.
5. (C) The report also contained specific examples of the
pressure the GOB placed on initiative group members during
the signature collection process. According to the report,
members of Milinkevich's and Poznyak's initiative groups were
detained by police and administratively punished by the
courts for collecting signatures in Minsk and Pinsk. The
report described situations where university officials denied
initiative group members access to student dormitories and
pressured students to sign nomination forms in support for
President Lukashenko.
Comment
--------------
6. (C) Even though the report did not indicate its author and
was sent out from an email address not connected with the
civil initiative, the document was easily identified as the
work of Partnership, which is the largest and most organized
domestic observation group in Belarus. The report, however,
was not posted on Partnership's website as originally
promised to Emboffs by Astreiko, perhaps due to the fear of
punishment under the amendments to the Criminal Code for
spreading "false" information about Belarus. Post notes the
quality and detail in this report is well below that of
Partnership's 2004 election coverage, likely because of GOB
pressures and threats to activists. Regardless, Partnership,
along with international observers (ref C) will play an
important role in highlighting the many examples of election
fraud the GOB will most certainly use to ensure a Lukashenko
victory.
Krol