Why don't observers file complaints with Central Election Commission?

“We need documented facts of what and where has happened. As for reports in the internet, those incidents could have taken place or could not have," says CEC secretary Mikalai Lazavik.

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He does have a point - one can find lots of stuff in the web. Lazavik claims that no complaint have been officially filed with the Central Eelection Commission.

The Movement for Freedom and Speak the Truth campaign have picked the 101th Constituency in Minsk to run a full-fledged election monitoring. This constituency has 33 polling stations; 28 ouf them are covered by observers. There were 50 people monitoring the election, and their number will be increased over the weekend. Observers report that the turnout has been exagerated at the majority of polling stations, two-fold at some.

Yuras Hubarevich from the Movement for Freedom says the whole thing can end up in court.

“I think that when we have gathered a sufficient number of violations - now already enough not to recognize the elections, we will file them with the Central Election Commission or the Supreme Court in order to demand that the elections be declared invalid.”

Observers maintain they have to work in difficult conditions since many things are not allowed. I have read the Electoral Code and can see that they can't do much, indeed. Basically, they can only sit at a pollling station where an election commission allows them to sit. They can't even observe the vote-counting process.

Candidates could. But they are few since the opposition Belarusian Popular Front party and the United Civil Party have pulled all of their contenders out. Part of them are now working as... observers.

The Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) has withdrawn Artsiom Liava from the race in the afore-mentioned 101th Constituency. Now he walks to the polling stations as an ordinary observer. BPF's observers coordinator Yuras Meliashkevich says Liava is not allowed even to take photos in order to record a violation.

“We tried to use technical means. For example, Artsiom Liava tried to take pictures at the polling station. He was banned and removed from the polling station. Observers have little powers. They can't even walk freely around the polling station.”

We will learn after the elections whether observers have managed to do something or not. Anyway, up to now, it has not been possible to question the victory of any pro-government candidate at the Central Election Commission or the Supreme Court.