Yarmoshyna: Electoral Code won’t be changed till presidential elections any more
31- 17.12.2009, 17:02
Today the “council of republic” unanimously approved amendments to the electoral code earlier adopted by the “chamber of representatives”.
After that Lidziya Yarmoshyna, chairperson of the CEC, stated in an interview to journalists that there would be no more amendments to the electoral legislation before the presidential elections.
“I do not think there would be any amendments before the presidential elections. The nearest elections of deputies and presidential elections are to be held according to the draft law currently considered by the “council of representatives,” Interfax quotes her as saying.
As charter97.org previously informed, last week the Chairperson of the CEC of Belarus confirmed that she hadn’t submitted the amendments to the Electoral Code to the OSCE for approval.
“We haven’t sent the draft law for approval of the OSCE. Tell me at least one sovereign state which would send its draft laws for approval of international organisations. It looks like humiliation,” Yarmoshyna said.
Belarusian human rights activists believe that key problems of the electoral legislation haven’t been solved. The process of making amendments was carried out in a mode closed for the Belarusian society and parties concerned – non-governmental organisations and oppositional political parties. Moreover, the clause which made it possible to rig results of all elections remains unchanged: independent observes won’t be able to control vote count during elections.
As stated by organisers of the international project “Election observation: theory and practice”, they have no illusions that the adopted amendments to the electoral law of Belarus would a new level of democracy and transparency in the electoral process of the country.
We remind that all election campaigns held in Belarus under Lukashenka regime were recognized not free and not fair by the world community. The head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna is banned entry to the EU countries and the US.
