The amendments that were introduced to Belarus’ election code in December 2009 are a step forward towards removing some flaws in Belarus’ legislation, says a joint declaration of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Venice Commission of the Council Europe, the OSCE press service informs.

“The amendments include a number of significant improvements which respond to some of the recommendations we made in previous election observation reports and during the recent process of open and constructive consultations with the Belarusian authorities,” said the ODIHR Director Janez Lenarcic.

The declaration also points out at the appropriateness of further improvements. The experts identify a number of new provisions that could lead to improvements in electoral practice. These include the easing of restrictions on candidate registration and campaigning, new safeguards for early voting and the possibility of appealing certain Central Election Commission decisions to the Supreme Court. The declaration also points out at the absence of selection criteria for appointment procedures for election commission members. The amendments have not provided safeguards ensuring the integrity and transparency of the vote count and results tabulation.

“ODIHR and the Venice Commission stand ready to assist Belarus’ authorities with the continuation of the electoral reform process. ODIHR is looking forward to monitoring the impact of the amendments during the upcoming presidential elections,” the declaration reads.

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