Czech deputies: Oppositional candidates are strong personalities and deserve presidency
2- 19.11.2010, 13:00
It has been stated today by a representatives of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Czech Parliament David Vondruska at a press-conference in Minsk, BelaPAN informs.
“The Czech Republic will certainly take part in the observation over the presidential election in Belarus, we want to be informed about the practice of carrying out the election, and also to inform the international community about democratization in Belarus,” the MP said.
The Czech MP said that the Czech delegation of observers has already been formed, and they are to work as a part of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR/OSCE) observation mission.
Mr Vondruska has also noted that oppositional candidates for presidency “are strong personalities, who deserve to become presidents.” At the same time he believes that “certain factionalism of the oppositional candidates plays into the hands of the incumbent president.”
“We have noticed certain improvements in the practice of holding the election campaign, in particular, greater representation of oppositionists in election commissions. But these are but cosmetic improvements,” he said.
Vondruska underlined that the number of representatives of political parties in the election commissions should be much higher than 1 per cent, like in precinct commission at the present presidential election. “In the Czech Republic members of the political parties are guaranteed being put on the election commissions. If Belarus followed this path, it would come near the European standards in the respect of carrying out election campaigns,” the Czech parliamentarian stated.
One more problematic issue in the election practice in Belarus is early voting, Vondruska said. As said by him, “it limits transparency of the election process.”
According to David Vondruska, the Article 193-1 which exists in the Belarusian legislation crates serious obstacles for official registration of political parties and public association.
The Czech MPs believe that abolition of this article would promote greater openness of Belarus.
The visit of deputies of the Czech Republic takes place on November 17-19. The aim of the Czech parliamentarians’ visit is studying the political situation in Belarus, peculiarities of the electoral period and the human rights situation, Radio Svaboda reports.
