Belarusian Helsinki Committee* has made a request to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) for implementation of 3 easy solutions.
1) Publish the poll data breaking it down by election precincts. At present the CEC publishes only summarized poll data breaking it down by regions (including Minsk).
2) By all means, hand out to observers certified copies of the record of the result of the poll. At present the Elections Code does not prohibit handing out such certified copies to observers, but in practice, precinct election commissions usually refuse to do so referring to the fact that they do not have to do so.
3) Implement an accurate procedure of counting of votes, when the mark on each ballot will be announced aloud and demonstrated to all the present members of precinct commission and observers. Now the following procedure of counting of votes is used; each member of the commission is given a certain number of ballots which they count simultaneously. When the votes are counted each member passes a sheet of paper with the poll data to the head of the commission; then he summarizes this data and incorporates the aggregate results in the record. Such procedure means that each member of the commission is aware only of the numbers she has calculated herself, thus being able to be responsible for the accuracy of only her data. Observers have no slightest possibility to make sure that the votes were counted accurately even by separate members of election precincts.
As the BHC sees it, implementation of these recommendations requires no amendments or additions to the Elections Code; they can be implemented by the CEC within the scope of the powers granted to it by the Clause 33.
Human Rights Defenders are sure that the listed steps will contribute to the improvement of electoral procedures, enhancement of transparency and openness of elections for building up trust of the citizens to state institutions on the whole.