Politics OSCE does not send observers to the presidential election in Belarus
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will not send observers to the presidential election in autocratically ruled Belarus. The Organization's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) announced on X that Belarus' late invitation just ten days before the election date would prevent access to important phases of the election process and make meaningful observation impossible.
17.01.2025, 19:38
17.01.2025, 19:39
SDA
Ruler Alexander Lukashenko has ruled the ex-Soviet republic by dictatorial means since 1994 and would like to be re-elected to office on January 26. Five candidates are formally running. In the 2020 election, Lukashenko had himself declared the winner, although according to independent observers his challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was ahead. He had the subsequent mass protests bloodily crushed. There are still more than 1,000 political prisoners in the country, which is closely allied with Russia.
Back and forth over invitation for election observers
Prior to the upcoming election date, the country, which is itself a member of the OSCE, had engaged in a back and forth with the organization over the invitation of election observers. The OSCE had already announced on January 9 that it would not be sending a mission as the Belarusian authorities had still not issued an invitation three weeks before election day.
On Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Minsk announced that 450 international observers had been invited to the election, including OSCE observers. However, this invitation obviously came at too short notice. "Belarus announced the date for the presidential election months ago, and the authorities are well aware that ODIHR needs a timely invitation in order to observe all important aspects of the election," spokeswoman Katya Andrusz told the German press agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
