Central Election Commission received applications from 24 foreign embassies indicated their desire to observe the elections to local councils in Belarus. The CEC accredited foreign diplomats as international observers from April 19 to 30. The decision was made on April 15 at the CEC meeting in Minsk.
The head of the Central Election Commission, Lydia Yermoshina, noted at the meeting that in accordance with the obligations of the Republic of Belarus within the OSCE, the country to invite international observers for national elections. They include parliamentary and presidential elections.
«Regarding to local elections, then in Belarus, there is such a practice that not inviting international observers, we, nevertheless, give the opportunity to observe the voting process for diplomats of foreign embassies accredited in Belarus. It is a goodwill gesture, no formal invitations been sent. Belarusian MFA distributes a corresponding note to embassies, and this note is an invitation for those diplomats who wish to observe the elections», BelTA quotes the words of Lydia Yermoshina.
So far, the CEC received applications for 50 people from the embassies. The biggest list — five people — sent the U.S. embassy, four diplomats are from Sweden and Lithuania respectively.
