Report No. 2.

15. 08. 2001.

The ACEEEO has continued its long term observational mission started in July to observe the belarussian presidential election. The ACEEEO has organized its local office, in which István Kőszegi, Mission Coordinator and Igor Jevlanov, legal expert are working.

Between 13-15. August, in the second phase, dr. Zoltán Tóth- Secretary General of the Association,  Mr. Zsolt Szolnoki -Operative Director of the Secretariat and their colleagues in the local office has conducted the following discussions:

Ø     Meetings with domestic observation organizations

Ø     Participation in the Central Election Committee’s session, on which it decided about the registration of the candidates

Ø     Meeting with Mrs. Jermosina- Chairman of the Central Election Committee

Ø     Meeting with Mr. Kozak- ambassador of the United States of America in Minsk, representative of the USAID

Ø     Meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus

Ø     Meeting with the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States

Ø     Meeting with the head of the OSCE AMG in Belarus

As a result of these meetings the followings can be established:

The ACEEEO is  still the only  international organization that is accredited for election observation in Belarus, because other organizations has not been registrated by the belarussian authorities.

Beside the Election Codex, the three decrees of the president in office- that we have already took objection against in our first report- still form an important part of the election process.

The political parties could send their representatives to the election committees, but in the most requested and most important rayons- in Minsk and Gomel- there are no party- representatives in the committees.

The registration process of the candidates is completed. As a result of this process only 4 of the former 25 candidates are registered. It is possible that one or two candidate of the opposition will withdraw in favor of Goncsarik.

The regulation of the verification of signatures is extremely short and not complex. The technical conditions are on low level, thus the transparency of the process is doubtful. There were no complaint about the verification of signatures or the registration of candidates

In our first report we suggested that an exit-poll could be made. The Chairman of the Central Election Committee stated that the election organs will remain neutral in this question, it depends on the organizers of the exit poll, if they continue such activity.

Each belarussian citizen is enabled to continue election activity, included the organization of election observation. In connection with this we consider the regulation of domestic observation problematical. The instructions of the codex are extremely short- that will cause the appearance of controversial local practices, which necessarily indicate strained relations between the observers and the election committees on the election day. It is necessary for inspiring confidence that the internal observers could sign the security seal of the ballot-box, and they could receive authentic information of the results of the polling- station.

It is to be desired that the president in office and the other candidates  should not abuse their authority during the campaign and should not consume more (financial) support than it is legally determined. 

After the registration of the candidates, each candidate was enabled to make a media-pronouncement, in which Lukasenko emphasized: “the elections will not be conducted in the way foreigners suggest, but will be based on the belarussian laws.”

After, the ACEEEO thanks the CIS and the Central Election Committee all the assistance it received  from them, and hopes that its further requests will not be rejected, since it is a fundamental requirement of international observation.

The ACEEEO continues its long-term observations according to the agenda settled in July.

In the next observational phase we still consider it necessary to control the assurance of active suffrage because of the pre-voting, the agricultural work-obligation of university students and the planned army exercises.

It is further a question, that the elections in Belarus would be conducted in democratic circumstances. The ACEEEO gives expression to its expectations that the presidential election will be arranged in a democratic, honest manner.