MINSK, 18 August (BelTA) – A team of long-term observers from the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly arrived in Minsk on 17 August, reads a post on the website of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (CIS IPA), BelTA has learned.
A meeting was held with the Chairperson of the Belarusian Central Election Commission Lidia Yermoshina. The observers informed the CEC about the process of forming the team and its long-term and short-term observation plans. Lidia Yermoshina, on her part, updated the observers on the progress in the election campaign, the nomination of candidates and the campaigning which has already started. The CEC Chairperson suggested that the observers visit the places designated for pre-election campaigning during their upcoming trip to Vitebsk Oblast.
CEC Secretary Nikolai Lozovik briefed the CIS IPA observers on the process of forming territorial, district and precinct election commissions on the basis of rating voting with the participation of observers. He also briefed them on the changes in the electoral procedures aimed at enhancing the transparency and openness of the elections. For example, the observers will have access to voters’ lists and the information on voter turnout. They will also be able to observe the transfer of results protocols from district election commissions.
Nikolai Lozovik underlined that the observers will be able to monitor the whole process of vote count in precinct election commissions.
As of today the CEC has accredited 268 observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States, and 33 from the CIS IPA.
The elections to the House of Representatives will be held on 11 September.
