OSCE/ODIHR opens observation mission for presidential election in Belarus
MINSK, 26 August 2015 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today formally opened an election observation mission for the 11 October presidential election in Belarus. The mission’s deployment follows an official invitation from the Belarus authorities.
The mission is led by Ambassador Jacques Faure and consists of a core team of 11 experts based in Minsk and 36 long-term observers to be deployed in teams of two across the country. In addition, ODIHR will request 400 short-term observers to monitor proceedings on election day.
The mission will observe the election for their compliance with OSCE commitments, other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with national legislation. Observers will closely monitor the candidate and voter registration process, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant governmental bodies, election-related legislation and its implementation, and the resolution of election-related disputes. As part of the observation, the mission will also monitor the media coverage of the campaign.
In the course of its observation, the mission will meet with representatives from state authorities and individual candidates, and with representatives from civil society, the media and the international community.
On election day, observers will monitor the opening of polling stations, voting, the counting of ballots and the tabulation of results. For election day, the mission plans to join efforts with delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and other parliamentary partners.
A statement of preliminary findings and conclusions will be issued on the day after the election. A final report on the observation of the entire election process will be published approximately two months after the completion of the election process.
For further information please visit //www.osce.org/odihr/elections/belarus or contact Alice Colombi, Media Analyst of the EOM, on +375 33 659 1985 (mobile) or at alice.colombi@odihr.by
or
Thomas Rymer, ODIHR Spokesperson, on + 48 609 522 266 (mobile) or at thomas.rymer@odihr.pl.