Newsroom
Belarus election: observer chief cancels visit citing visa denials
WARSAW 27 August 2001
WARSAW, 27 August 2001 (OSCE) - Citing government obstruction, the Director of Europe's leading election observation agency today cancelled a planned two-day visit to oversee OSCE preparations for the observation of the upcoming presidential election in Belarus. Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), was to have led a working team to Minsk today. The trip was cancelled when two key aides - half of the travelling party - were refused visas.
"This is yet another step in what has become systematic obstruction and interference with the observation," said Stoudmann. "Despite these limitations, our team remains in Minsk and continues to make every effort to cover all aspects of the election."
Belarusian authorities had previously delayed an invitation to the ODIHR observers by several weeks and then further delayed issuing visas to the initial members of the observation team. This prevented international observation of critical early phases of the election process. Consequently, the ODIHR was able to establish only a Limited Election Observation Mission, rather than its standard, in-depth operation. All OSCE States are obligated to invite ODIHR to observe the entire process of their elections.
No satisfactory explanation was provided for the latest visa refusal. The two observers refused included the ODIHR's desk officer for the Belarus elections and another election expert who was to have co-ordinated the work of all long-term observers. Although no-one is disputing any state's sovereign right to control entry into the country, the ODIHR, in order to fulfil its mandate, needs to be able to choose the composition of its observation team. Visa denials without credible justification, such as in this case, together with the other obstacles set to this mission, constitute a clear interference with the independence of the observation mission.
"Never before has an OSCE participating State so actively interfered with an ODIHR election observation," commented Stoudmann.
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For further information, please contact Marek Mracka, OSCE/ODIHR mission in Minsk, tel. +375-17 270 7288, Jens-Hagen Eschenbächer, OSCE/ODIHR Spokesperson, tel. +48-22 5200 600, or Andrew Bruce, OSCE/ODIHR Election Adviser, +48-22 5200 600.
"This is yet another step in what has become systematic obstruction and interference with the observation," said Stoudmann. "Despite these limitations, our team remains in Minsk and continues to make every effort to cover all aspects of the election."
Belarusian authorities had previously delayed an invitation to the ODIHR observers by several weeks and then further delayed issuing visas to the initial members of the observation team. This prevented international observation of critical early phases of the election process. Consequently, the ODIHR was able to establish only a Limited Election Observation Mission, rather than its standard, in-depth operation. All OSCE States are obligated to invite ODIHR to observe the entire process of their elections.
No satisfactory explanation was provided for the latest visa refusal. The two observers refused included the ODIHR's desk officer for the Belarus elections and another election expert who was to have co-ordinated the work of all long-term observers. Although no-one is disputing any state's sovereign right to control entry into the country, the ODIHR, in order to fulfil its mandate, needs to be able to choose the composition of its observation team. Visa denials without credible justification, such as in this case, together with the other obstacles set to this mission, constitute a clear interference with the independence of the observation mission.
"Never before has an OSCE participating State so actively interfered with an ODIHR election observation," commented Stoudmann.
--
For further information, please contact Marek Mracka, OSCE/ODIHR mission in Minsk, tel. +375-17 270 7288, Jens-Hagen Eschenbächer, OSCE/ODIHR Spokesperson, tel. +48-22 5200 600, or Andrew Bruce, OSCE/ODIHR Election Adviser, +48-22 5200 600.