{"id":122190,"date":"2025-01-17T15:03:38","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T12:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/122190\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"minsk-to-use-belated-invitation-of-osce-observers-for-propaganda-opposition-politician","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/122190\/","title":{"rendered":"Minsk to use belated invitation of OSCE observers for propaganda \u2013 opposition politician"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

January 17, Pozirk. <\/strong>Minsk’s invitation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to observe the upcoming presidential poll is a pure propaganda move, opposition politician Anatol Labied\u017aka has told Parlamentsky Kanal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His comment is linked to today’s report that the foreign ministry has invited OSCE monitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian authorities are well aware that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will refuse over a lack of time to set up a monitoring mission for the vote that is scheduled to start in less than a week, he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Belarusian and Russian propaganda workers would be able to speculate on OSCE’s refusal, Labied\u017aka said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current election campaign stands out as the first one with a complete absence of independent domestic observers and competent election monitors from reputable international organizations, the politician added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus will hold its seventh presidential election from January 21 to 26, with the whole election cycle limited to just three months. The current campaign is taking place in a purged political landscape amid a new wave of crackdown on regime critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five presidential bidders are Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, in power since 1994, his supporters Aleh Hajdukievi\u010d, Alaksandar Chi\u017eniak, Siarhiej Syranko\u016d as well as former MP Hanna Kanapackaja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian opposition dismissed the election as a sham, noting that political reprisals prevent pro-democracy candidates from running and voters from freely expressing their will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The country has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the OSCE standards. Minsk stopped inviting OSCE monitors after the 2020 disputed presidential election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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