Belarus expects notable persons as observers on presidential election
MINSK. July 23 (Interfax) - The Central Election Committee (CEC) of Belarus expects that some well-known and high ranking officials will visit the country as observers on the presidential election, Chairperson of the CEC Lidia Yermoshina said.
"I can tell you for sure that we are going to have representatives of most highly reputed international organizations visiting, as well as notable persons. I am talking about prominent international officials, Statesmen and politicians from other nations who we will mostly invite personally to visit our country," Yermoshina said when interviewed in the "Actual microphone" program on First National Channel of Belarusian Radio.
She said that a mission from the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) led by CIS Executive Secretary Sergey Lebedev, will likely begin working in the country early in August, and an OSCE mission may start closer to the end of August.
"They [observers] come to Belarus with pleasure. It is always better to criticize democracy in a country where nothing threatens your safety. And even those who criticize [that] have started to really realize personal security and civil right to safely speak up and safely vote are the biggest achievements," Yermoshina said.
"In Belarus, it is observed to the full extent," she said.
The head of the CEC added that NGOs from foreign countries had no chance of being registered as observers in Belarus.
"An international observer either represents a nation, or an international organization with a certain status. It cannot be an organization that has simply described itself as such. We cannot receive everyone who feels like coming" said Yermoshina.