Gomel, Belarus. District 34, Election Comittee 14.

The last place I went to see on Saturday evening. Prelimary election were going on from Tuesday till Staurday. The observer has not been registered till the last day because of lacking stamp on some document. Although in different commission his colleague had no problems and no stamp.

This was also the only commission which refused to tell how many people voted in the preliminary time.

Gomel, Belarus. District 34, Election Comitte 13.

Observer cannot come closer to the commission desk or the voting ballot. True observation This was the biggest distance I have noticed in visitted places - and members of the comittee were very nervous.

Gomel, Minsk. Saturday evening.

Election will start next day morning, so it’s the last moment to make preparations for a big celebration. All people who will come to comittee will be able to buy very cheap food, sweets, champagne, vodka…

In gomel there are 6 District Election Comitties which collect results from local ones. On Saturday I was told that during preliminary elections from Tuesday till Friday 15% of allowed 65,500 has voted. On Sunday number of preliminary voters was 25%, so if my math is correct on Saturday 10% people visitted the preliminary polls.

Quotes from interview with comittee chief:

Indigo: Have the observers already been into your district?

Chief: Yes. And we hope they will come tomorrow! /On Sunday, day of election/

I: Do you think that election are democratic?

C: Absolutely!

I was waiting for over 15 minutes to take a picture of a “voter voting”, and when the old lady came in I thought she was going to say “No. No pictures. Im not photogenic”. Instead she asked me do I want to take some and  was posing especially for me

Just after the polls will be closed on Sunday evening at 8 pm, opposition is organising demonstration again elections in center of Minsk.

Hanging of above poster is illegal, one can be arrested for that…

One of the election commities on Saturday In Gomel, last day of preliminary elections. Foreign journalist is definetely a big surprise for them, and I guess voters also,  - guard was watching movie from DVD…

Two days before election day, I took a train from Minsk to Gomel. Through the wagons speakers Belarusian radio was broadcasted. Seven women and five men were listening to music. They were reacting to the music, made eye contact.
Until the news started at 7pm. They freezed. Four minutes long, the speaker was talking about elections and candidates. All started looking in the middle of nowhere. No-one blinked positively or negatively. No-one commented. No-one made any body reaction. Nothing. Then the music started again. Everyone came alive again. They shared the joy of music.

Two days berofe Parliamentary Elections 2008. In dictatorship country - love is all around me. In Minsk there are few spots were freshly marriend couples do photo sessions. This is one of many I run into in 45 min

Woman in upper right corner is an opposittion candidate in ofe of the Minsk districts. My guide was explaining me that in one of the shops and I noticed that the teenage girl was carefully listening to us. So when Ira said “The woman is ok, but those three. They are… u know… Lukashenka” - the girl smiled.

Ironically.