SCO observers say Belarus elections 'transparent, democratic'
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Belarusians voted on Sunday to elect 12,514 local council delegates and 110 members of the parliament's lower chamber for a five-year term.
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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko walks ahead of voting at a polling station in Minsk, Belarus on February 25, 2024 (AP)
Nurlan Yermekbayev, deputy secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and leader of the organization's election observation mission, declared Monday that Belarus' recent parliamentary elections were transparent and democratic.
Yermekbayev stated during a briefing that the elections were "an important step" for the future of Belarus, detailing that the mission believes the elections "met the requirements of the electoral legislation of the Republic of Belarus and the international commitments" taken by the country.
" The mission recognizes the elections as transparent, credible, and democratic."
He reported that voting was conducted peacefully, in line with established procedures, and in the presence of national and international observers.
On Sunday, Belarusians participated in the elections to choose 12,514 members for local councils and 110 representatives for the parliament's lower house, with the elected officials serving a five-year term. A total of 263 candidates vied for seats in the lower house, while 18,800 candidates contested seats in local councils. All four registered parties in Belarus nominated their candidates for the elections.
According to Artem Turov, a member of the Russian lower house delegation overseeing the elections, Minsk conducted the electoral process in strict compliance with national laws, with no observed violations that could potentially impact the results.
According to Belarusian Central Election Commission Chairman Igor Karpenko, all 110 members of the lower house of parliament were elected, and all 1,284 local councils were created in the approved composition. Voter turnout was 73.09%.
It is worth noting that the participation rate for the parliamentary elections in Belarus was 77.4% in 2019, slightly higher than the 74.7% recorded in 2016. In the 2020 presidential election, the voter turnout stood at 84.3%.
Karpenko tells US to focus on its 'own problems'
Karpenko criticized the United States on Monday calling on the country to focus on addressing its own internal issues instead of assuming the role of a global watchdog.
This response came on Sunday following Washington's condemnation of Belarus' parliamentary and local elections. Earlier in the day, Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, labeled the elections in Belarus as a "sham" and claimed they were taking place in "a climate of fear."
"I don't know how they assessed everything from across the ocean, it's very strange ... Probably, the United States has had enough of trying on the role of the world watchdog, they should deal with their domestic problems," Karpenko said during a press conference.
He further claimed that there are numerous uncertainties surrounding elections in the United States, including the most recent presidential election.
