Belarus parliament elections

MINSK, 1 September (BelTA) - The CIS observation mission has published an interim report on the monitoring of the elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus. It is available on the website of the CIS Executive Committee, BelTA has learned.

The report reads that Belarus has provided the necessary conditions for the work of international observers. Within the framework of the election campaign monitoring, long-term observers visited 101 district election commissions out of 110 and more than 200 precinct election commissions. “The mission members are granted unhindered access to the documents relating to the electoral process. Observers note the professionalism of members of the commissions, proper documentation that shows a consistent and dedicated work of the Central Election Commission on training of election organizers,” the report reads.

The report draws attention to the fact that in order to facilitate the participation of citizens in the elections, the Central Election Commission has expanded the list of documents on the basis of which voters are issued ballot papers at polling stations. Such documents now include a military ID for conscripts, an official ID for public servants, a driver's license, a photographic pension certificate, a student card, and also a paper from the interior agencies for citizens who have lost their passport and also an ID of a person with a disability.

The report contains detailed information on the setting up of the commissions and their activity related to the preparation of the elections, nomination and registration of candidates, election campaigning, dealing with complaints and appeals, etc.

“The mission conducts its work in accordance with the universally recognized principles and norms of international law in the field of election observation and the legislation of the Republic of Belarus without interfering in the electoral process and internal affairs of the state,” the report reads. According to the CIS observers, the Central Election Commission and lower-level election commissions take the necessary measures for the proper preparation and conduct of the elections in accordance with the applicable legislation.

As of 1 September the CIS mission included 328 observers from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the CIS IPA, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union State, the Union State Permanent Committee, the CIS Executive Committee. The mission includes 44 long-term observers.