OSCE/ODIHR opens its election observation mission in Belarus

WARSAW/MINSK, 10 February 2006 - A full-scale election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), has opened in Minsk, prior to the 19 March presidential election in Belarus.

The mission was deployed following an invitation from the Belarusian Foreign Minister on 19 January, and is headed by Ambassador Geert-Hinrich Ahrens from Germany.

Currently, ten international staff are based in Minsk and 40 long-term observers will soon arrive in Belarus to follow the process at regional level.

Experts and long-term observers are drawn from 19 States across the OSCE area.

The mission will assess the electoral process in terms of its compliance with OSCE commitments for democratic elections, other international standards, and national legislation.

It will focus its immediate attention on the registration of candidates and will closely follow the legislative framework and its even-handed application, the fairness of the campaign, the transparency of the process, the media situation, voters' access to balanced electoral information and the impartial resolution of election disputes.

All OSCE participating States will be invited to contribute short-term observers to the mission.

Prior to the 19 March election, the ODIHR intends to deploy some 400 short-term observers to monitor the conduct of the voting process, the counting of ballots, and the tabulation of results. International observers will operate in multi-national teams of two persons and will be supported by interpreters.

Previously, the ODIHR observed the 2004 parliamentary elections in Belarus.

The ODIHR Election Observation Mission and the OSCE Office in Minsk, headed by Ambassador Ake Peterson, operate separately under their specific mandates.