Belarus parliament elections

MINSK, 16 August (BelTA) – Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus Lidia Yermoshina met with Kent Harstedt, Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, special coordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observer mission for the parliamentary elections in Belarus, on 15 August. Upon BelTA’s request Lidia Yermoshina commented on the meeting for mass media on 16 August.

The head of the Belarusian election organization agency said: “He was interested in how observers can access the vote count process. He was satisfied with the resolutions the Central Election Commission has adopted in this regard. He was satisfied with the composition of candidates, believes the number of candidates is sufficient, choice is available. He also liked the versatility of candidates — the fact that they have different political orientation.”

In her words, Kent Harstedt believes the composition of election commissions is not balanced. He would like to see more representatives of opposition parties. The Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly also expects the fulfillment of OSCE recommendations and further improvement of the electoral laws in Belarus after the parliamentary elections.

As a rule, representatives of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly take part in short-term observation as part of the international mission sent to monitor elections under the aegis of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The OSCE PA monitoring mission is expected to arrive in Belarus several days before the elections and may comprise 70-100 people. So far the Central Election Commission of Belarus has accredited two observers representing the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

Elections to the lower chamber of the Belarusian parliament are scheduled for 11 September.