Igor Karpenko
MINSK, 11 January (BelTA) - Belarus will invite international observers to the upcoming elections, Igor Karpenko, Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), told the media, BelTA has learned.
As BelTA reported earlier, Belarus will refrain from inviting OSCE observers to the upcoming parliamentary and local elections due on 25 February 2024.
"I would like to emphasize that we hold elections for ourselves, not for foreign countries. The function of any observer, including an international one, is to answer the main questions: whether the election process complies with our legislation and whether everything is organized in accordance with this legislation," Igor Karpenko said.
Igor Karpenko noted that observers should monitor the electoral process: "They will be present. There is already feedback from the CIS mission. I am scheduled to meet with the CIS secretary general. There is also feedback from the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. Thus, the institutions that are empowered to invite observers are doing this. We will accredit international observers, not only missions and parliamentary institutions but also individual experts from various countries, including the European Union, in accordance with the law and will give them the opportunity to observe our elections," he concluded.
