OSCE criticized for applying different approaches to electoral campaigns west and east of Vienna

OSCE/ODIHR applies different approaches to electoral campaigns in countries west and east of Vienna, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei said on the air of the Belarus 1TV channel, BelTA has learned.

The minister noted that Belarus has always drawn the attention of the OSCE, the ODIHR to the difference in approaches to electoral campaigns in countries that are located to the west and east of Vienna: "They send 4to 5 observers to Western countries. Meanwhile delegations to our countries, the countries of the post-Soviet space in the first place, are huge. Sometimes they were as large as 600-700 people in our country."

According to Vladimir Makei, this alone testifies to the unequal attitude of the ODIHR to electoral campaigns in different regions of the OSCE. "I believe that this absolutely harms the ODIHR itself. Together with Russia and our other allies, we have suggested, on numerous occasions, developing common criteria for assessing elections in all countries. We need to be guided by these criteria and give assessments that will be as objective as possible," the minister said.

What is happening now in terms of election observation is absolutely unacceptable, the minister said. Delegations of observers come to the countries of the post-Soviet space with pre-prepared politicized assessments and findings about the inconsistency of the elections with certain standards, which do not exist in principle.

"We are categorically against this approach. We have always voiced our point of view together with our partners. We will strive to ensure that the ODIHR and the OSCE take a truly objective position in relation to electoral campaigns in various countries," Vladimir Makei said.