MINSK, 31 January (BelTA) - Belarus surpasses most EU countries in the standards of democratic voting, Polish former judge Tomasz Szmydt told BelTA.
Tomasz Szmydt had an opportunity to observe the presidential election not only as a Polish citizen living in Minsk, but also as an accredited foreign observer. He visited polling stations both in Minsk and Belarusian regions.
“The work of individual commissions was carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Belarus and the Electoral Code. I found no violations in the work of individual commissions. It is worth noting a very high turnout and involvement of Belarusians in the voting process,” Tomasz Szmydt said.
According to the Polish former judge, Belarus continues to move forward despite all the sanctions, and the prospects for further development look very promising.
“It seems to me that today only President Aleksandr Lukashenko can guarantee these prospects. Belarusians understand this very well,” he said.
Tomasz Szmydt was impressed by the attitude of Belarusians to the election campaign, which he called serious and responsible. He added that Belarusians treat the election as a true holiday.
“This is a day of unity. People came to polling stations, bringing their families, small children. Cultural events were held everywhere to emphasize the country’s traditions and national values,” he added.
As a lawyer, Tomasz Szmydt was interested in the legal correlation between the Electoral Code of Belarus and the codes adopted in other countries of the European Union.
“I really like the opportunity to vote early for those who could not come to the polling station on 26 January. Such a model is used, for example, in some Scandinavian countries. The standards of democratic and free voting were observed in Belarus not only from the formal point of view, but also with regard to the organization of the voting process and the operation of individual commissions. Here, as a lawyer, I can say that in this respect Belarus is ahead of the majority of the European Union countries,” Tomasz Szmydt said.
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