MINSK, 28 August (BelTA) – The CIS observation mission will embark on monitoring the elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus on 4 September, CIS First Deputy Executive Secretary Viktor Guminsky told journalists ahead of the meeting of the Council of Permanent Plenipotentiary Representatives of the CIS Member Nations on 28 August, BelTA has learned.
“The observation mission will begin work on 4 September,” Viktor Guminsky said. “The mission will include about 50 long-term observers. All in all, the CIS observation mission will be very big because the CIS member states have shown great interest in Belarus' parliamentary elections,” Viktor Guminsky added.
According to him, headquarters of the mission will be set up in the CIS Executive Committee. “We have received an invitation from the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deploy an observation mission in Belarus and, in turn, have sent invitations to all countries, presidents, central election commissions, and governments of the CIS member states to send their representatives to the CIS observation mission. At present, we are waiting for their response,” Viktor Guminsky said.
He noted that this will be the 100th time the CIS will send an observation mission to work at elections. In 2001, the first such mission was also deployed in Belarus. “This will be the ninth observation mission at elections in Belarus. All in all, this will be the 100th CIS observation mission. We are carefully preparing for this important event, because the work of the mission will help us assess whether the elections are held in line with the Belarusian law,” Viktor Guminsky added.
Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee Sergei Lebedev was appointed head of the CIS observation mission at the meeting of the Council of Permanent Plenipotentiary Representatives of the CIS Member Nations on 28 August.
The elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus are scheduled for 17 November.
