CEC: There’s No Time To Consider OSCE Recommendations

“Pseudo-international” organizations are not to observe the “parliamentary elections” in Belarus.

That was stated by chairman of the Central Election Commission Lidzia Yarmoshyna in Minsk on May 17.

“These organizations are not registered anywhere, they are international initiatives, consisting of representatives of various organizations. We do not qualify them as international organizations and do not invite them,” – BelaPAN quotes the official.

However, she stresses that some members of these organizations will be able to observe the elections, if they are included in the CIS observation mission and the OSCE.

According to Yarmoshyna, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus is to send invitations to participate in the observation to the most authoritative organizations – the CIS, the OSCE and the Council of Europe. The European Parliament is sending election observers, too.

Yarmoshyna says that the CEC will invite colleagues from the central electoral commissions of other countries to observe the elections, but this invitation sets aside countries of Europe. “We invite those, who have invited us to the elections. Only Lithuania and Latvia have invited us amongst European countries,” – she said.

Lidzia Yarmoshyna also referred to the recommendations given by the ODIHR in connection with the upcoming election campaign. According to her, 30 proposals have been given, 22 of which require amendments to the electoral law and cannot be implemented, as Belarus is already on the threshold of the election campaign.