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Press release
OSCE's human rights body starts dialogue on electoral reform with Belarus
- Date:
- Place:
- WARSAW
- Source:
- OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, OSCE Office in Minsk (closed)
- Fields of work:
- Elections, Democratization
WARSAW, 23 September 2003 - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and authorities in Belarus have begun a dialogue on reforming electoral legislation.
A one-day seminar on "International Standards for Democratic Elections and Election Law Reform" that was organized jointly by the ODIHR and the Belarusian Central Election Commission in Minsk yesterday could become the starting point for further discussions on the issue.
"The meeting underscored the necessity to improve confidence and transparency in the election process and the need to address certain aspects of the election legislation while there is still the necessary time available to act," said the Head of the ODIHR Election Section, Gerald Mitchell.
"The co-operation that we enjoyed with Mrs. Lidiya Yermoshina, the Chair of the Belarusian Central Election Commission, and her colleagues is a positive sign for the possibility of further dialogue prior to the parliamentary elections planned for the autumn of 2004."
The seminar attracted some 60 participants from all levels of the Belarusian election administration, as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations and political parties in Belarus. They were joined by an expert from the Abo Akademi University in Finland and expert members of the Central Election Commissions of two of Belarus's neighbours - Russia and Ukraine.
Ambassador Eberhard Heyken, the Head of the OSCE Office in Minsk, said: "Discussion of the election rules by all relevant actors is critical for promoting confidence in the election process."
The ODIHR has been actively involved in elections in Belarus for several years, deploying a Technical Assessment Mission for the 2000 parliamentary elections and conducting a Limited Election Observation Mission for the 2001 presidential elections. The ODIHR also provided a series of commentaries on Belarus's legal framework for elections in 2000. The legal commentaries and reports from previous missions are available on the ODIHR website at www.osce.org/odihr.
A one-day seminar on "International Standards for Democratic Elections and Election Law Reform" that was organized jointly by the ODIHR and the Belarusian Central Election Commission in Minsk yesterday could become the starting point for further discussions on the issue.
"The meeting underscored the necessity to improve confidence and transparency in the election process and the need to address certain aspects of the election legislation while there is still the necessary time available to act," said the Head of the ODIHR Election Section, Gerald Mitchell.
"The co-operation that we enjoyed with Mrs. Lidiya Yermoshina, the Chair of the Belarusian Central Election Commission, and her colleagues is a positive sign for the possibility of further dialogue prior to the parliamentary elections planned for the autumn of 2004."
The seminar attracted some 60 participants from all levels of the Belarusian election administration, as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations and political parties in Belarus. They were joined by an expert from the Abo Akademi University in Finland and expert members of the Central Election Commissions of two of Belarus's neighbours - Russia and Ukraine.
Ambassador Eberhard Heyken, the Head of the OSCE Office in Minsk, said: "Discussion of the election rules by all relevant actors is critical for promoting confidence in the election process."
The ODIHR has been actively involved in elections in Belarus for several years, deploying a Technical Assessment Mission for the 2000 parliamentary elections and conducting a Limited Election Observation Mission for the 2001 presidential elections. The ODIHR also provided a series of commentaries on Belarus's legal framework for elections in 2000. The legal commentaries and reports from previous missions are available on the ODIHR website at www.osce.org/odihr.
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