Belarusian Elections: The Art of Falsification
Originally published at Belarus Digest. Please leave any comments there.
Today's parliamentary elections are the simplest for Belarusian election committees. Because the majority of the opposition has boycotted the elections, the election committees have almost no need to rig the votes. In any event, when neither the observers nor even individual members of election committees have access the final count - it is difficult to have unexpected results.
The elections in Belarus last paradoxically long - for 6 days for two main reasons. First, the authorities get time to increase the turnout under threats of dismissal, problems at educational institutions or eviction from the dormitories. Second, such a prolonged snap poll gives them enough time to falsify the results.The author has been working as an observer at this elections over the last six days, based as one polling stations outside Minsk and trying to figure out what is hidden behind the red curtain.
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