CEC Chairman: Presidential election confirmed maturity of Belarus’ electoral system
Igor Karpenko, the Chairman of Belarus’ Central Election Commission (CEC), has met with the Vitebsk Region ideological activists to sum up the results of the recent Presidential election and to outline strategic directions for the development of the electoral system
“The election campaign has once again confirmed the maturity of our electoral system. All procedures were strictly in accordance with the law: secret ballot and equal rights for all citizens,” the CEC Chairman emphasised.
Mr. Karpenko paid particular attention to voter turnout: 86 percent is an indicator of citizens’ trust in state institutions, while 96 percent of first-time voters is the best answer to those who doubt the political activity of young people.
The CEC Head explained the role of the younger generation in the electoral process, “Hundreds of volunteers – students and activists of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union – have become real assistants at the polling stations. They accompanied foreign delegations, helped people with limited mobility and worked as translators. We are working on the legal consolidation of the status of ‘electoral volunteer’. This is not just a formality, but a recognition of the importance of young people’s participation in democratic processes.”
Mr. Karpenko stressed the importance of legal education for young people, “The ‘peer-to-peer education’ principle has proved its worth. When information comes from a peer in an understandable language, it is perceived in a completely different way. A permanent platform for such dialogue is being established on the premises of the Youth Council under the Central Election Commission.”
Answering questions about international observation, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission noted that ‘52 countries took part in the observation, which is a record for sovereign Belarus’, “Many delegations saw for the first time how our electoral process was organised, and their assessments were objective – unlike the biased statements of some structures.”
In his speech, Mr. Karpenko paid special attention to the protection of the sovereignty of the electoral system and the inadmissibility of external interference in electoral processes, which is particularly important in modern international conditions.
The last election campaign gives a start to preparations for the next cycle, which will take place in five years’ time. Mr. Karpenko announced a republican seminar in mid-May to sum up the election results and to outline priorities for the future, “We are ready to discuss proposals for improving legislation and practice, but it is too early to talk about specific legislative changes: we need a balanced, systematic approach with a thorough analysis.”
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Karpenko thanked the organisers of the election in the Vitebsk Region, “Your professionalism is the key to the success of the entire system. And the meeting with the region’s student activists will show that work with young people is ongoing and not limited to election cycles.”
