On meeting the Chair of the Central Commission on Elections and Holding Republican Referenda, Lidia Yermoshina, Alexander Lukashenko pointed out that the OSCE/ODIHR took three and a half months to prepare its final report on the 2015 Presidential elections in Belarus. “It took them a lot of time. I‘ve noticed that the final report doesn’t differ much from the interim one, although it does contain some recommendations and requirements,” he noted.
Ms. Yermoshina has told journalists that the CEC will summarise the recommendations of the interagency expert group to the Head of State and present proposals on how to streamline the election process, ahead of parliamentary elections.
“Nevertheless, I can say right away that there will be no change to electoral laws in the immediate future. These recommendations will be implemented via improving regulatory enforcement practice, as defined in the methodological guidelines of the Central Election Commission,” explains Ms. Yermoshina.
Ms. Yermoshina notes that international partners want Belarus to give serious consideration to these recommendations. “This is a demonstration, first and foremost, of our commitment," she says.
By Alexander Pimenov
