OSCE ODIHR observation mission to arrive in Minsk in early November

Oct. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- MINSK, 27 October (BelTA) – Long-term observers from OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights are expected in Minsk in early November, Head of the OSCE Office in Minsk Benedikt Haller told media on 27 October.

A total of 40 long-term and nearly 400 short-term observers are expected to arrive.

OSCE long-term observation mission will focus on the social and political situation in the country, election legislation and its application, monitor the coverage of the election campaign in the mass media outlets, control the election process itself. In line with the Belarusian legislation, international observers can attend sessions of the elections commissions, meet with presidential candidates and their authorized delegates, representatives of political parties and civil organizations.

Meanwhile, the CIS observation mission has already received accreditation cards from the Central Election Commission of Belarus. A group of 35 observers will monitor the election process among whom are members of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS diplomats accredited in Minsk, representatives of the Union State Parliamentary Assembly and the Union State Secretariat.

The election campaign in Belarus is going on smoothly, without pre-election hysteria, CIS long-term observer for Mogilev Oblast Yuri Kulakovsky told reporters on 27 October. An office of the CIS observation mission opened in Mogilev on 27 October.

According to the observer, Belarus offers all opportunities for presidential candidates to show their worth and demonstrate their abilities to run a state. Unlike many other states, the election campaign in Belarus is going on in a calm, businesslike fashion, without hysteria. However, some candidates have started to realize that they are not going to collect the necessary amount of signatures. “It is a shame that my fellow MP, an interesting person and politician, Sergei Gaidukevich, chose to quit. But I think that those who remain are also worth people’s attention,” Yuri Kulakovsky said.

In his words, no election campaign is held without mistakes or violations of legislation. As for Belarus, these violations are very few and do not affect the conduct of the elections. The Central Election Commission has already issued some warnings, most of which deal with signature collecting by unauthorized people. “The Central Election Commission is rather lenient to this kind of minor violations and allows candidates to carry on with their election campaign and show the best of what they’ve got,” the observer said.

Presidential candidates will be approved on 23 November. At present initiative groups of the potential candidates keep collecting signatures.

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