2001 press releases

OSCE/ODIHR Election Observers Begin Mission in Belarus (August 21, 2001)

MINSK, 21 August 2001 (OSCE) - The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) has deployed a mission to monitor the 9 September presidential election in Belarus. The mission will hold a briefing for the diplomatic community accredited in Belarus on Tuesday, 21 August, at 15:00 hours in the IBB Conference Hall, Prospekt Gasety Pravda 11, 220116, Minsk. Representatives of the mass media are cordially invited.

The mission, led by Hrair Balian, Head of the ODIHR Election Section, has established its headquarters in Minsk with a core team of 13 election experts. In addition, 16 observers will be deployed throughout Belarus by Tuesday, 21 August. The 29 mission members come from 20 countries throughout the OSCE region, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

The mission will assess compliance of the election process with the commitments outlined in the OSCE 1990 Copenhagen document and subsequent documents, as well as with relevant Belarusian legislation. In addition, observers will monitor the election campaign already underway, including the balance of coverage across a diverse range of media outlets. However, the scope of the mission will necessarily be limited as a result of the late invitation to observe the election issued on 15 August, and subsequent delays in issuing entry visas.

Some 150 international short-term observers have been requested to arrive shortly before polling day. In addition, more than 50 parliamentarians from around the OSCE region are expected. They will observe election day processes including voting and counting of ballots.

On the day after the election, jointly with other European institutions, the mission will issue a statement of preliminary findings and conclusions. The ODIHR will issue a comprehensive final report approximately one month after the completion of the electoral process.