Updated at 13:52,22-04-2024

CEC stands against inviting OSCE observers

charter97.org

The secretary of the Central Election Commission of Belarus (CEC) regrets the OSCE mission was invited to observe the “parliamentary election” in the country.

"You may think I am an oppositionist, but I do not agree with a decision of the government to invite the OSCE observation mission [to the parliamentary election]", Mikalai Lazavik said at a press conference in Minsk on Wednesday.

"I lost faith in objectivity of conclusions given by the OSCE observation mission", the CEC secretary explained his position.

To make his position clear, Lazavik recalled a situation with OSCE mission's evaluation of the Belarusian presidential election in 2010. "The preliminary report of the mission evaluated the presidential election positively, but officials from Brussels and Warsaw prepared a negative conclusion", the CEC secretary said. Lazavik added, "The final conclusion of the 2010 presidential election by the OSCE mission is based not on objective evaluation, but on the evaluation called Square [post-election protests]".

The CEC secretary noted "the Belarusian MFA said let's not worsen relations with them, let them come here" when taking a decision on invitation of the OSCE observation mission.

Lazavik said, "There won't be a lack of observers at the parliamentary election in Belarus. Invitations will be sent to the OSCE PA, the CSTO, the CIS".

We remind Lazavik and CEC head Lidzia Yarmoshyna were invited to Vienna to take part in an OSCE meeting on elections. This fact was criticized in the country because all elections under Lukashenka's rule were falsified.