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Yarmoshyna describes her appointment to job of top election official as «most democratic»

Lidziya Yarmoshyna has described her controversial appointment to the position of head of the central election commission as the "most democratic."

In an interview with BelaPAN, Ms. Yarmoshyna said that Alyaksandr Lukashenka had never met her before appointing her to replace Viktar Hanchar.

Mr. Hanchar was dismissed by Mr. Lukashenka from the position on November 14, 1996, 10 days before a controversial referendum that gave the Belarusian leader sweeping powers. Under laws that were in effect at that time, only the Supreme Soviet had the right to dismiss the central election commission's head.

According to Ms. Yarmoshyna, the Belarusian leader had no other choice but to appoint her. "Viktar Hanchar had been removed [from the job] and a new chair was to be picked from among the members of the central election commission. One member of the central election commission was justice minister and was preparing to become the Supreme Court's chairman, several members of the commission had reached the retirement age, several more were workers. My candidacy was recommended during a discussion, the central election commission believed that I would at least not bungle the job, would fit the position," she said.

The official said that she had been appointed in the space of one day, "without anyone having to give his consent to that."

Ms. Yarmoshyna said that she could be succeeded by an official with a regional executive committee or the Minsk City Executive Committee who deals with elections. "I mean organizers of elections who lead the organizational or legal departments. It is quite likely that this could be one of the outgoing MPs," she noted.