CIS observer mission: election campaigning in Belarus held in calm and organised manner
The CIS observer mission has published an interim report on the monitoring of the preparations for the Presidential election in the Republic of Belarus, sb.by reports citing the CIS Executive Committee’s press service
“At the invitation of Belarus’ Foreign Ministry, the CIS observer mission has been monitoring since December 18th, 2024, the preparations for the Presidential election in Belarus scheduled for January 26th, 2025, by the Resolution of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus (as of October 23rd, 2024). The mission acts freely and independently, guided by the Belarusian legislation and the CIS documents, without interfering in the electoral process and in the internal affairs of the state,” the report reads.
As of January 20th, 2025, 290 observers of the mission have been accredited, representing the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, the Union State Standing Committee, and the CIS Executive Committee. There are 40 observers working on a long-term basis whose activities are co-ordinated by the CIS mission headquarters in Minsk.
The members of the CIS mission headquarters discussed the course of the election campaign with the leadership of the Supreme Court, the Interior Ministry, the Prosecutor General’s Office, Presidential candidates Oleg Gaidukevich, Anna Kanopatskaya, Sergei Syrankov, Aleksandr Khizhnyak, and the leadership of candidate Aleksandr Lukashenko’s election headquarters. The mission’s long-term observers get acquainted with the work of the territorial and precinct commissions for the election of the President of the Republic of Belarus in all regions of the republic and the city of Minsk.
“Election is held on the basis of the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Code of the Republic of Belarus, other legislative acts of the country, as well as resolutions of Belarus’ Central Election Commission (CEC) explaining certain procedures for organising an election campaign. Experts from the mission headquarters and the International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations are completing their analysis of Belarus’ electoral legislation. Their conclusions will be outlined after the voting day in a final document. The mission notes the CEC systematic work during the electoral period. The CIS observer mission finds the campaign to be calm and orderly, conducted in strict compliance with the electoral legislation. Candidates have been provided with generally equal conditions for campaigning and the right to speak in the media was ensured,” the report says.
As part of the monitoring of the election campaign, the mission’s headquarters asked the Central Election Commission, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Supreme Court and the Interior Ministry of Belarus to inform them about cases of citizens’ complaints related to violations of the electoral process and the results of their consideration. After studying and summarising the responses, the relevant information will be provided in the mission’s final statement.
The mission will present its final conclusions and assessments in the final document on the results of the monitoring of the preparations and conduct of the Presidential election in the Republic of Belarus.