How to organize local elections during the pandemic
Elections amid Pandemic: International Practices and Recommendations for Ukraine CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS International Practices The growing pandemic caused by COVID-19 has had a major impact on the electoral management around the world. Over 50 countries have postponed their voting. Parliamentary elections in Serbia, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka, presidential elections in Poland and Bolivia, or local […]
Police go back to arrests of peaceful protesters, strikers and opposition figures
Thirty-nine protesters faced administrative charges following yesterday’s protests in a number of Belarusian cities, the Interior Ministry’s spokesperson said. Three criminal cases were opened to investigate alleged violence against police officers, it said. Siarhei Verameyenka, an activist in Hrodna, faced criminal charges under Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (organization or active participation in actions […]
Protesters detained in dozens again, several sentenced to prison sentences
Over fifty protesters were detained on 25 August during and after several demonstrations held in Minsk, Homieĺ, Hrodna and Babrujsk. Some of them were released, but are expected to stand trials soon. At least twenty people were held in two protests staged in Minsk’s Independence Square. At least three persons were detained during a […]
What can the OSCE do in Belarus?
Image source: N1 info Many politicians and commentators have called for the involvement of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Belarus. The OSCE is a security body which includes 57 participating states, including all states of Europe, the US and Canada. It has a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses […]
EPDE welcomes EU, US, and the Russian Federation’s call for OSCE facilitation in Belarus
EPDE Statement: The European Platform for Democratic Elections appreciates the latest developments with the United States, the European Union and the Russian President Putin having called on the Belarusian government to accept the offer of OSCE Chief-in-Office Edi Rama and Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ann Linde to mediate the crisis with all stakeholders […]
National Extraordinary Public Health Commission disregarded public consultation process, anti-COVID measures too broad
Prime Minister Ion Chicu chairs a meeting of the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission. Source: gov.md Considering that the Central Electoral Commission proposed for public consultations the Instruction on preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection during the electoral period, approved by the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission (NEPHC), the Promo-LEX Association comes with the following findings: […]
CEC and CICDE failed to accomplish all activities foreseen in their 2016-2019 Strategic Plans
Promo-LEX announced the findings of the Final Evaluation Report on the implementation of the Strategic Plans of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) and the Center for Continuous Electoral Training (CICDE) for 2016 – 2019. Following the evaluation, it was found that in the implementation of the planned actions, both the CEC and the CICDE have registered a certain degree […]
EPDE calls for authorities to refrain from interfering in the activities of the CEC ahead of local elections
In recent days, media outlets reported that a meeting took place in the President’s Office where unnamed officials recommended to the Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Oleh Didenko, CEC Secretary Olena Hataullina and three other CEC members that they resign due to their alleged affiliation with the former Head of the President’s Office, […]
HRDs call to release political prisoners held on rioting charges
Following reports about the arrest of activists of the campaign headquarters of former presidential nominee Viktar Babaryka — Liavon Khalatran, Anton Bialinski, Ihar Bialinski, Andrei Pazniak, Siarhei Mikhayenka, Yury Vaskrasenski, Artur Vaskrasenski, Ihar Yarmolau, Artsiom Moladau, Aliaksandra Moladava and Uladzislau Karenski — as suspects in a criminal case under Art. 293 of the Criminal Code (mass riots), we, […]
44 protesters still in detention, 13 missing, one more reported dead
44 people detained during the post-election protests remain in custody, after they were sentenced to short terms of administrative detention, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also confirmed that 6 persons were still held as part of “ongoing investigations”. Some 6,700 protesters were detained after the rigged August 9 election. […]
