Authorities accredit 1,026 government-loyal observers for January poll

December 20, Pozirk. The central election commission, by December 18, accredited 75 foreign observers for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for January 21-26.

Thirty-nine observers represent the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); 18, the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly; 10, other countries’ election commissions; two, the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization while the parliaments of CIS countries and independent monitors have three representatives each.

Alaksandar Łukasenka, in power in Belarus since 1994, enjoys the support of all these institutions and seeks flattering assessments from the Russian-dominated CIS and election officials from government-friendly countries.

Belarusian authorities accredited 951 domestic observers representing government-loyal associations. Most of them, 691, are members of government-established public organizations: 153 represent government-controlled trade unions, 147 and 99, youth and women’s organizations, respectively; 128, Biełaja Ruś association of Łukašenka’s supporters and 98, veterans.

Pro-government political parties have fielded 175 observers, including 103 from Biełaja Ruś, 46 Communists, 19 from the Republican Party of Labor and Justice and seven from the Liberal-Democratic Party.

Authorities also registered 63 individual observers and 22 monitors representing worker collectives. Those observers are usually vetted for loyalty by local executive authorities and security services.

Belarus’ seventh presidential election cycle limited to just three months. The current campaign is taking place in a purged political landscape amid a crackdown on regime critics.

Belarus has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The government stopped inviting OSCE monitors after the 2020 disputed presidential election marred by fraud and police brutality against peaceful protesters.

The Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections monitoring campaign by the Viasna Human Rights Center and Belarusian Helsinki Committee is working remotely over security threats for independent observers and ongoing crackdown on civil society.