October 24, Pozirk. The central election commission (CEC) expects more than 440 international observers at the upcoming January presidential election, its head Ihar Karpienka has told the commission members.
The number of international observers will double, compared to this year’s parliamentary election, he said, noting that Belarusian authorities are already discussing invitations with foreign election commissions.
Minsk seeks flattering assessments from the Russian-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States and election officials from government-friendly countries.
Belarus has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The government stopped inviting OSCE monitors after the 2020 disputed presidential election.
At today’s meeting, the CEC also approved procedures governing the work of observers, setting for January 20, one day ahead of the start of the early voting, as the deadline for the accreditation of domestic observers.
Authorities plan to set up 153 territorial commissions and more than 5,000 precinct commissions for the presidential election.
The registration of initiative groups to collect ballot-access signatures is to be completed by November 1, Karpienka said.
Belarus will hold the presidential election on January 26, the country’s legislature announced yesterday. The poll will be held five months ahead of the deadline provided by the law, limiting the whole presidential election cycle to just three months.
