The polling and the vote count in the presidential election in Belarus was totally up to west-European standards, former Vice-Chancellor of Austria Hubert Gorbach said in an interview with Austrian newspaper Wiener Zeitung. Hubert Gorbach was invited by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry to monitor the election in Belarus, the First TV Channel said.

Hubert Gorbach monitored the conduct of the election at over ten polling stations and noted that “the polling and vote count was totally in compliance with west-European standards.”

“We observed the work of election commissions right behind the shoulder. At the polling stations where I worked Lukashenko polled about 70% of the vote, which is close to the final outcome,” Hubert Gorbach said.

He did not get an impression that people came to the polls out of the fear to be called unpatriotic. Quite the opposite, the atmosphere was very festive, according to the observer.

Commenting on the complaints of the opposition candidates regarding the lack of access to media before the election and the extensive media coverage of the incumbent president, Hubert Gorbach said: “In western countries this is also common when the ruling politicians have better access to media”. He believes that a huge step forward was made at the past elections in the field of human rights and creation of the necessary conditions for the opposition candidates. Representatives of the opposition parties could take part in the work of the commissions and could record violations if there were any.

When speaking about the riots that followed the election in Belarus, Hubert Gorbach said: “The protesters tried to storm the CEC headquarters. The windows were broken. I am sure everyone has a right to defend himself. Furthermore, the basic principle of democracy is the consent with the majority. I heard that the demonstrations were planned in advance, regardless of the vote results.”

In general, according to Hubert Gorbach, “The entire electoral process was well organized.”

www.belta.by