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OSCE observers describe Belarus` election as flawed

Belarus` October 6-11 presidential election "once again indicated that Belarus still has a considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments for democratic elections," said a preliminary statement released on Monday by the election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

"This underscores the need for the political will to engage in a comprehensive reform process," said the mission.

The observers noted some improvements and a "welcoming attitude" but warned that "significant problems, particularly during the counting and tabulation of votes, undermined the integrity of the election."

The campaign and election day were peaceful, said the statement.

"It is clear that Belarus still has a long way to go towards fulfilling its democratic commitments," said Kent Harstedt, special coordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission. "The recent release of political prisoners and a welcoming approach to observers were positive developments. However, the hope that this gave us for the broader electoral process was largely unfulfilled."

Mr. Harstedt said that he was especially disappointed by shortcomings during vote counting and tabulation. "We hope that the Belarusian government will have the political will to engage in a thorough reform process, which we are ready to support," he said.

All candidates were able to campaign throughout the country and to convey their messages without hindrance, according to the observers. The campaign was low-key but became more active over the final two weeks, they said.

"Only one candidate, whose platform focused predominantly on socio-economic issues, was openly critical of the incumbent. This gave voters limited choice," said the statement.

The voting process on election day was assessed positively at 95 percent of the polling stations observed, but a large number of observers were not allowed to check voter lists, and "seemingly identical signatures" were observed at 47 polling stations. Signs of ballot stuffing during vote counting were reported at 22 polling stations. The counting process was assessed negatively at 30 percent of the stations observed, indicating significant problems. The tabulation process was assessed negatively and as lacking transparency in 25 percent of the instances observed, said the statement.