MINSK, 15 February (BelTA) - The head of the CIS observation mission, Ilkhom Nematov, will arrive in Minsk on 23 February, First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee – CIS Executive Secretary, head of the office of the CIS observation mission Leonid Anfimov told reporters in Minsk on 15 February, BelTA has learned.
“He is arriving in Minsk on 23 February. On 24 February, we are scheduled to have meetings in the government bodies of the Republic of Belarus," Leonid Anfimov said. “Yesterday I talked to Vladimir Andreichenko [Chairman of the House of Representatives] and he agreed to meet with Ilkhom Nematov. I also sent a letter to Natalya Kochanova [Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic] asking her to have a meeting with him too. There will be meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affair and the Central Election Commission. As from 24 February Ilkhom Nematov will begin active work as the head of the mission."
The CIS observation mission began monitoring the referendum in Belarus on 1 February. This is the 11th times that the CIS has sent its observers to Belarus. All in all, this is the 116th observation mission in the CIS member states.
The core group of CIS observers will arrive in Belarus 2 or 3 days before the referendum and will monitor it in all regions of the republic. Members of the mission will be present at the opening of the polling sites, and will observe the voting process and vote counting. All in all, the CIS mission will include from 100 to 120 observers from the CIS member states.
On 20 January Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed Decree No.14 “On calling the nationwide referendum”. The main voting day is 27 February. Belarusians also have the opportunity to cast their votes during the period from 22 to 26 February.
