Presidential election 2015 in Belarus

MINSK, 11 October (BelTA) – No violations have been detected so far during the exit polls held as part of the Belarus president election. The statement was made by David Rotman, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Director of the Social and Political Studies Center of the Belarusian State University, during the roundtable session held in the information center of Belarus’ Central Election Commission (CEC) on 11 October to discuss sociological support for the election campaign and the responsibility of sociologists before the society, BelTA has learned.

According to David Rotman, the observers, who kept an eye on the interviewers, did not detect any violations in the exit poll procedure. “We have a dedicated group to monitor exit polls. Since I am part of the group, I would like to say that so far no violations have been detected, everything proceeds as normal. These observers are travelling to polling stations all over the country, taking a look at exit polls and taking photos,” he noted.

The exit polls are proceeding in full compliance with the rules regulating the procedure. “The people, who are collecting information at the exits of the polling stations, are doing it in line with the instructions they have been given,” stressed David Rotman.

Professor Igor Kotlyarov, Director of the Sociology Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, confirmed that voters are being polled in a routine manner.

Three agencies have been authorized to poll Belarusian citizens after they exit polling stations. Those are the Sociology Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Youth Lab for Sociological Studies of the national union of public associations Belarusian Committee of Youth Organizations, and the Institute for Comparative Social Studies Eurasian Barometer.