Belarus parliament elections

OSCE: Legitimacy of elections guaranteed by Belarusian people

MINSK, 18 November (BelTA) -  The legitimacy of elections is guaranteed by the Belarusian people, Margareta Cederfelt, Special Coordinator and leader of the OSCE short-term observer mission, told the media, BelTA has learned.

On 18 November, observers from the OSCE ODIHR, OSCE PA and PACE presented an interim report on the observation of the parliamentary elections in Belarus. Responding to journalists' questions, Margareta Cederfelt noted that “legitimacy is not guaranteed by an international organization”. “It is guaranteed by the people of Belarus, not by us," she said.

We are here to promote transparency and strengthen electoral processes in Belarus. We hope that our observations will be taken in a constructive manner and will contribute to the strengthening of the electoral system and successful conduct of elections in the future. This is extremely important for us. Belarus is a state member of the OSCE, Margareta Cederfelt said.

We cannot make judgments about the legitimacy of elected candidates. It is up to the people of Belarus to decide, said Lord Blencathra, head of the PEACE delegation.

Representatives of the mission traditionally mentioned a number of shortcomings with regards the organization of the electoral process in Belarus. The final report will be submitted at a later date.

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