On 22 August the mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has arrived in Belarus to observe the parliamentary election. On 24 August 36 long-term observers joined the mission. They aim to work in 18 regions of Belarus in two-person teams. Antonio Milošoski, Head of the mission, highlighted that the geography of observers is very broad: the balance between the representatives from Western and Eastern Europe is maintained, most observers have extensive experience, including in the previous election in Belarus.

According to Mr. Milošoski, the Belarusian authorities currently do not interfere with the mission, the Foreign Ministry helped to resolve the international experts’ invitation and arrival issues.

At the same time the problem with the mission’s office remains unresolved: it simply does not exist. Previous OSCE observation missions were based in the hotel “Belarus”, but now it is closed for renovation. It is still unknown where the office of the mission will be located. The mission appealed to the Belarusian Central Election Commission and directly to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Uladzimir Makei on this subject. The Minister has promised that the Ministry will do everything it can so that foreign observers have a place to work.

CEC Chair accuses the OSCE/ODIHR of bureaucracy and prejudice

During the meeting with the journalists Mr. Milošoski stressed several times that the task of the OSCE is to observe the elections, to report and give recommendations, but not in any way interfere with the election process. This was the response to the negative comments of Belarusian officials who criticised the activities of the mission to Belarus even before its arrival.

In particular, the Belarusian CEC Chair Lidzia Yarmoshyna (right) in an interview with SB. Belarus today newspaper accused ODIHR of bureaucracy and prejudice.

“Their democracy is just a very efficient bureaucracy, playing with the society and the media”, stated the CEC Chair. “It is horrible, and you cannot resist it. It will crush anybody who gets in its way with its consolidated character”.

International observation, according to Yarmoshyna, is an “absolutely professional activity”, with a “tremendous” difference in approach to Eastern and Western countries. “There is a mission of 15 people coming to Germany, with its 80 million population, whereas to Belarus, where 9 million people live, there comes a mission consisting of 700 people, and you realize that the goals for each mission vary”, emphasised the CEC Chair.

As Antonio Milošoski explained, the number of observers in the missions sent to different countries depends on several factors. In particular, the need for assessment work and subsequent recommendations, and OSCE participating countries’ intention and ability to send observers to one country or another are taken into consideration.

Milošoski stressed that in the mission to Belarus the number of long-term and short-term observers from Western and Eastern Europe is approximately equal.

“I think we have a very balanced and unbiased attitude. The people who work in our mission have sufficient experience of election observation. I think we will have no problems”, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR mission said.

However, the CEC top officials are already pessimistic about the OSCE observers’ work. “For Belarus and other CIS countries, conclusions are made in a different way – they begin with good things and end with bad ones”, Yarmoshyna said.

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