OSCE/ODIHR welcomes big number of party members at Belarus’ elections

VITEBSK, 17 September (BelTA) – It is encouraging that a considerable number of party nominees takes part in the elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission Antonio Milososki told BelTA in Vitebsk on 17 September. The mission has met with members of the district election commission of Vitebsky-Gorkovsky electoral district No. 17 and parliamentary candidates standing for elections in this district. “We have seen a big number of party members among electoral contestants and we welcome it as a positive step,” Antonio Milososki said. However, he added that the election campaign is rather lukewarm. The OSCE/ODIHR mission has established contacts with representatives of all district election commissions and the Central Election Commission. A preliminary report on the elections will be released by the mission in a day after election day; the final report will be published eight weeks later. “Belarus is an important member of the OSCE. We are here not to push some political agenda, but to assess the conduct of the elections,” Antonio Milososki said. In Vitebsk Oblast 49 candidates, including 28 party members, are running for 14 parliamentary seats. The greatest number of nominees (23% of all candidates) was put forward by the Liberal Democratic Party. It is followed by the United Left Party – “Just World” that nominated five candidates.

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