{"id":11555,"date":"2023-04-14T13:41:09","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T10:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/top-election-official-invokes-electoral-sovereignty-to-defend-lack-of-transparency\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"top-election-official-invokes-electoral-sovereignty-to-defend-lack-of-transparency","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11555\/","title":{"rendered":"Top election official invokes electoral sovereignty to defend lack of transparency"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n By Alaksandr K\u0142asko\u016dski, BPN<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n Belarus\u2019 top election official has been trumpeting the principle of electoral sovereignty, citing external meddling in elections. The lack of transparency, which the principle implies, makes it easier for authorities to rig votes.<\/span><\/b>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Ihar Karpienka, chair of the central election commission, discussed electoral sovereignty with the Minsk region\u2019s pro-government activists in Minsk on April 13.\n<\/p>\n

Term added to national security concept<\/h2>\n

\n\t The term \u201celectoral sovereignty\u201d has been often used by Russian election officials to fend off criticism from the West in connection with flawed elections.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Belarusian officials have included the term into a draft National Security Concept approved by the Security Council. Alaksandr Valfovi\u010d, state secretary of the Council, defined the principle as \u201cthe indefeasible right of an independent state to hold elections and referenda independently, without external meddling.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The draft has been discussed at gatherings of government supporters and worker staffs and is expected to be rubberstamped by the All-Belarusian People\u2019s Assembly next year.\n<\/p>\n

Electoral Code restrictions<\/h2>\n

\n\t The central election commission has pushed through the parliament amendments to the Electoral Code to make the holders of foreign citizenship and other IDs that provide for preferential treatment in foreign states \u201cin connection with political and religious views or national identity\u201d ineligible to run for president and parliament and sit at the All-Belarusian People\u2019s Assembly.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The restriction targets, among others, the holders of Karta Polaka (Polish Charter), a document confirming belonging to the Polish nation and making its holders eligible for preferential treatment in Poland as compared to other foreigners.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The Belarusian government has been hostile toward Poland and its ethnic minority in Belarus in the last few years. The Belarusian ruler repeatedly accused Warsaw of unjustified territorial claims without providing any proof.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Warsaw presses for the release of Polish minority activist Andrzej Poczobut (Andrej Pa\u010dobut) and the dismissal of all charges against him.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t On February 8, reporter Poczobut was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of inciting hatred and calling for sanctions that harmed the national security of Belarus. In response to the verdict, Poland closed Bobrowniki, one of the two road border checkpoints. \n<\/p>\n

\n\t The new rules also deprive voters based abroad of the right to vote in elections. Karpienka said that Belarus\u2019 diplomatic missions abroad would not set up polling stations because they cannot ensure safety of diplomatic mission employees and voters amid staff shortages.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Meanwhile, the number of Belarusian voters abroad has increased sharply as opponents continue flee from political persecution.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Karpienka said that the election commissions would not disclose the identities of election commissioners to prevent online abuse. Critics see the measure as an attempt to ease pressure on officials by guaranteeing them immunity from responsibility and criticism for vote rigging.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The Electoral Code prohibits voters from taking their ballots out of the polling station and from taking pictures or filming the filled-out ballots.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Karpienka claimed that the measure was simply intended to ensure ballot secrecy, but its real purpose is to prevent any attempts by civil society and opposition candidates to count votes and challenge official results.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t During the 2020 presidential election, the Holas think tank collected enough evidence, including pictures of ballots and copies of election protocols, to prove massive vote rigging in favor of the incumbent.\n<\/p>\n

Hurdles for political parties<\/h2>\n

\n\t On February 14, \u0141uka\u0161enka signed into law a bill on political parties and public associations after it had been rushed through the National Assembly. The new legislation would require all functioning parties to re-register. Critics fear that the reregistration campaign is just a pretext to shut down the few remaining opposition parties.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The law has raised the minimum membership needed to register a political party to 5,000 from 1,000. Parties are now obliged to have chapters in each region and in Minsk, effectively covering most constituencies. Opposition parties are likely to struggle to enlist new members as the government continues its campaign of intimidation of political opponents.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The legislation requires political parties to comply with \u201ckey priorities of internal and foreign policies and the national security concept approved by the All-Belarusian People\u2019s Assembly,\u201d effectively banning any criticism of government decisions and political competition.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The number of political parties in Belarus will drop from fifteen to three or four after re-registration, according to Justice Minister Siarhiej Chamienka. His ministry is likely to register only pro-government parties, critics say.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t But the Belarusian leader is determined to keep the remaining parties in check. \u201cI will tell you honestly, political pluralism is nothing but a tribute to Western fashion,\u201d he said, while delivering his annual address to the nation on March 31.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The Belarusian regime has always been wary of Western fashion. Officials cite electoral sovereignty to justify the lack of transparency, disguise election fraud and suppress political alternatives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alaksandr K\u0142asko\u016dski, BPN Belarus\u2019 top election official has been trumpeting the principle of electoral sovereignty, citing external meddling in elections. The lack of transparency, which the principle implies, makes it easier for authorities to rig votes. Ihar Karpienka, chair of the central election commission, discussed electoral sovereignty with the Minsk region\u2019s pro-government activists in Minsk […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[24],"class_list":["post-11555","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTop election official invokes electoral sovereignty to defend lack of transparency | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Alaksandr K\u0142asko\u016dski, BPN Belarus\u2019 top election official has been trumpeting the principle of electoral sovereignty, citing external meddling in\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11555\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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