OSCE rights chief to visit Minsk to discuss reform of Belarus' election framework

WARSAW, 21 January 2009 - Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, the Director of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), will travel to Minsk tomorrow to discuss recommendations for improvements to Belarus' electoral framework. 

During the two-day visit, Lenarcic will meet Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov, the head of the Presidential Administration, Vladimir Makey, the chairperson of the Central Election Commission, Lidya Ermoshina, and other high-level officials. He will also meet representatives of political parties and civil society.

Lenarcic will discuss follow-ups to the recommendations included in ODIHR's final report on last year's parliamentary elections in Belarus.

The report is available on the OSCE website: //www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2008/11/35145_en.pdf