PACE: Belarus needs to increase citizens’ trust in elections
Head of the PACE election observation mission Reha Denemeç has published a report about the presidential election held in Belarus on October 11, 2015. The mission consisted of PACE and ODIHR representatives. The main conclusion is: Belarus still needs to do a lot to fulfill its obligations to conduct free and fair elections. The vote count procedure and the rules of observers’ work need to be greatly improved in order to increase trust in elections, BelaPAN reports.
“Elections are not limited to the Election Day only. Belarus needs to improve the Election Code to guarantee the creation of competitive political environment,” the report says. This is one of the main terms for long-term democratic stability in the country, international experts think.
There is no general registry of voters in Belarus, Denemeç noted. The lists are made using the data presented by local authorities. The administrative resource and civil associations were used to agitate for the incumbent President.