3 March 2003
Over 77 percent turn out for local elections in Brest region
As many as 77.1 percent of all eligible voters cast their ballots in the local elections in the Brest region, according to Aleksandr Koleda, head of the regional election commission.
Voter turnout exceeded 80 percent in most of the region's districts and amounted to 90.8 percent and 92 percent in the Baranovichi and Pinsk districts, respectively. The number of voters who cast their ballots in Brest and Baranovichi was unexpectedly large as well, Mr. Koleda
said. The lowest turnout was in the city of Pinsk, where only 61.4 percent exercised their right of voting. The voting resulted in the election of deputies in numbers sufficient for a quorum in 258 out of 259 soviets of
various levels in the region, according to Mr. Koleda. An insufficient number of deputies were elected to the Beloozyorsk Soviet.
Fifty-five deputies were elected to the 60-seat Brest Regional Soviet. Runoff rounds will be held in three districts and repeat elections in two ones in the regional capital.
Sufficient numbers of deputies were elected to all city soviets, Mr. Koleda said. Run-off rounds will take place in nine districts in Brest, five in Baranovichi and four in Pinsk. Repeat elections will be held in two electoral districts in Baranovichi, three in Pinsk and three in Brest.
As many as 547 deputies were elected to the region's district soviets, which have a total of 573 seats. Run-off elections will be held in three districts. In general, 3,551 out of the necessary 3,682 deputies were
elected to soviets of various levels in the Brest region, which is a "very good result for local elections," Mr. Koleda said.
Asked by BelaPAN about violations of electoral regulations discovered by the election commission, Mr. Koleda said that no written complaints had been filed with the commission. According to him, the commission had received some complaints by telephone and probed them. "But there have been no complaints about violations that would influence
the elections' results," the regional election commission's head stressed.
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