MINSK, 1 February (BelTA) – There are plans to use about 120 CIS observers to monitor the nationwide referendum on amending Belarus' Constitution. First Deputy Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS First Deputy Executive Secretary Leonid Anfimov made the statement after meeting with Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus Igor Karpenko, BelTA has learned.
The CIS observers will perform monitoring functions in Belarus for the 11th time. It will be the 116th observation mission in the CIS states.
Personnel for the mission are being selected now. According to Leonid Anfimov, the CIS Executive Committee has sent letters to the heads of state, central election commissions, the ministries of foreign affairs to ask them to suggest their representatives for inclusion into the CIS observation mission. “I think representatives of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, and employees of the CIS Executive Committee will participate in the mission's work. A total of 100-120 observers are expected to participate in the mission's work,” the official said.
The mission will be headquartered in the CIS Executive Committee building. Members of the staff will analyze Belarusian election legislation, distribute observers among regions of the republic and determine their operating procedures, prepare the necessary instructional materials and guidelines. For the sake of studying the referendum organization campaign the mission's staff will send letters to the government agencies, which are entrusted with dealing with complaints about violations during the referendum campaign, in order to request information about received complaints and results of their review.
Most of the CIS observers will arrive in Belarus 2-3 days before the referendum and will perform observation functions in all parts of the country. Members of the mission will be present during the opening of polling stations, will watch votes being cast, and the vote tabulation procedure.
On 20 January Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed a decree to schedule a nationwide referendum for 27 February. Belarusians will also be able to cast their votes for or against amendments and addenda to the Constitution early on 22-26 February.
