It Makes No Difference – Whether You Observe Or Not

The Belarusian Central Elections Committee is not going to take off the repertoire its tricks that it had been practicing for 20 years.

From all appearances, the Belarusian Central Elections Committee is not going to take off the repertoire its tricks that it had been practicing for 20 years. It is demonstrated by statement of the perpetual chairperson of the Central Elections Committee Lidziya Yarmoshyna, made by her on Tuesday in Minsk.

As one can see, Yarmoshyna decides herself, who deserves to monitor “the parliamentary elections” in our country, and who doesn’t.

The chairperson of the Central Elections Committee is an official, who, according to the laws and a democratic logic, is just a person hired by the nation, and whose function is to guarantee a transparent and free expression of citizens’ will during electoral campaigns. But it is not the case in our country. Yarmoshyna – who has already developed a callous on her tongue, by saying the same phrase, that she is “a person from the president’s team” – has once again confirmed that nothing is going to change considerably in the upcoming electoral campaign.

On May 17 she also touched upon the elections observation issue. Yarmoshyna informed that international observers would be invited this year, including the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. According to the CEC Chairperson, they have already expressed their willingness to observe the “parliamentary elections”. As for “pseudo-international structures”, they will have no access to observation.

“We will invite respectable international organizations which have official registration (out of pure curiosity – what does Mrs. Yarmoshyna mean by “registration”?), the opinions of which are valued by the international community. These are the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. However, there are many so-called pseudo-international organizations, registered nowhere, but with famous names. We do not consider such organizations international ones”, the CEC Chairperson has said.

It is easy to guess that the top official is taking a dig at human rights organizations and other international structures which observe elections practically all over the world, but have no authority for the official Minsk and the longstanding “guarantor” of all the electoral campaigns’ results in Belarus. Obviously, she also doesn’t consider organizations like the International Organization for Human Rights (FIDH) and other structures, recognized everywhere except Belarus, as international.

Moreover, what is the registration she is talking about? If the FIDH is not registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus, this doesn’t mean such organization does not exist or acts illegally. It is worth reminding that the human rights center “Viasna”, deprived of state registration back in 2003, remains a member of the mentioned Federation, and Chairman of “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski is a Vice-President of this respected by the whole civilized world organization.

However, this is not an argument for the people like Lidziya Yarmoshyna. Leaving the topic of independent observation, the CEC Chairperson has made herself clear that there will be no significant amendments in the procedure and organization of “elections”, apart from several cosmetic changes. The Electoral Code will not be amended, the authorities will only follow some recommendations in the instructions to elections commissions and executive authorities, like “not to apply “draconian laws” during the agitation campaign when defining the places of the candidates’ meetings with voters”. However, as perennial practice shows, the CEC simply ignores such recommendations.

Thus, the promises and smiles of the “person in charge of elections” towards the Europeans and other Westernists look just another portion of razzmatazz, them being too naïve and trustful sometimes. This is clear as a tear that we will see nothing revolutionary from the authorities during another electoral campaign. The authorities do not want it, and there is no one to make them change anything. Due to the lack of real alternative and counterbalance.

Henadz Kesner, Novy Chas