BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

11/07/2008

Belarus: International Observers invited to Monitor the Parliamentary Elections in Belarus (OSCE, CIS)

On 28 September 2008, the Republic of Belarus will hold elections of deputies of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly.

The government of Belarus and its electoral bodies will do their utmost and create all necessary conditions for the parliamentary elections to be fair, transparent and democratic.

In keeping with its international commitments and national electoral legislation, the Republic of Belarus is inviting international observers to monitor the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

On 9 July 2008, the Foreign Ministry sent formal invitations to the CIS Executive Committee and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to this effect.

As regards the parliamentary domain, invitations to monitor the elections will also be sent out to the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS member states and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

The Belarusian Side will make sure that the international observers are in a proper position to fulfill their mission.

In Belarus, unlike a number of western OSCE member states, the electoral legislation provides extensive rights to the international observers. It also incurs obligations, however, that are expected to be fulfilled as precisely. It comes down, in the first place, to the non-interference in the electoral process and strict compliance with the national legislation.

We hope that the assessments issued by the international observers will be objective, non-biased and based on concrete facts.

Source:

http://www.isria.info/RESTRICTED/D/2008/JULY_11/diplo_11july2008_25.htm

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