Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Yarmoshyna: “There will be no innovations that would change electoral system“

charter97.org

The head of the Belarusian Central Election Commission, restricted to travel abroad, says the electoral system won’t meet cardinal changes.

Proposals on amendment to the electoral law of Belarus supposing no cardinal revising of the electoral system, were worked out by a working group in collaboration with OSCE experts, Lidziya Yarmoshyna told in an interview to Interfax agency.

"Having discussed recommendations the OSCE offered following the results of the parliamentary elections, the experts prepared a compromise variant of proposals on changing the electoral law. Proposals, not a draft law, have been prepared," the CEC head said.

According to her, the variant prepared by the working group, "has no innovations that would change the electoral system of Belarus". "Only some electoral technologies and organizational issues will be changed," Yarmoshyna noted.

The CEC head said those proposals in particular concern "issues of carrying out election campaigns, simplification of rules for holding agitation mass events, finance issues." "For example, a question on formation of financial funds for every candidate," Yarmoshyna told.

"These proposals have been sent to ministries of Belarus for consideration and working out a common position. This process remains at this stage today," the CEC head said. So, according to her, "one’s can’t say about a secret working out of a draft law". Yarmoshyna explained that the "draft law can be prepared only if an appropriate order of the legislative bodies is received. We do not have such an order now," the CEC chairwoman said.

It should be reminded that all electoral campaigns carried out in Belarus under Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s rule were recognized unfree and unfair by the international community. Head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna us banned entry to the EU and US for rigging the election results.