Early parliamentary elections, 17 November 2019

International Election Observation Mission press conference, Minsk, 18 November 2019

Following an invitation to observe the 17 November 2019 early parliamentary elections in Belarus, based on the findings and conclusions of the Needs Assessment Mission deployed from 26 to 30 August, and in accordance with its mandate, ODIHR has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM).

Long-term Observation

The ODIHR EOM, headed by Corien Jonker, consists of 11 international experts based in Minsk. In addition, 30 long-term observers will be deployed throughout the country from 23 October.

The mission will assess the elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards, as well as with national legislation. Observers will follow voter registration, candidate registration, campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant state bodies, implementation of the legislative framework, and the resolution of election-related disputes. As part of the observation, the EOM will conduct a comprehensive monitoring of the media.

Election Day

ODIHR will request participating States to second 400 short-term observers around election day. The short-term observers will be deployed throughout the country in multinational teams of two to monitor the opening of polling stations, the voting, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results.

The day after the elections, ODIHR, together with its parliamentary partners, will issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions at a press conference. A final report on the observation of the entire electoral process will be issued approximately two months after the end of the observation mission.

Co-operation with Other Partners

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) are planning to deploy observer delegations for the elections.

Previous Elections

ODIHR has previously observed eight elections in the country, most recently the 2016 parliamentary elections.