The choice made by the citizens of Belarus should never be called into question, the Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council said.
Senators of the Russian Federation have attended the presidential election in the Republic of Belarus as part of international observer missions.
According to Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev, Coordinator of the IPA CIS Observer Mission, the election in Belarus was uneventful and well-organised. The voting took place in a calm and friendly atmosphere. The election was competitive and democratic, and with every procedure followed. “Most importantly, the election featured an amazing voter turnout,” the parliamentarian said.
In his opinion, the recent election was a convincing response to the protests in 2020, where an attempt was made to destabilise the country. “People realised that this should not be allowed, and this did not happen.”
“The choice made by the citizens of the Republic of Belarus should not be called into question under any circumstances,” Konstantin Kosachev concluded.
Alexei Sinitsyn, in his capacity as an observer from the SCO, highlighted a few details that Russian election laws lack. In particular, in Belarus, a voter who accidentally spoiled their ballot paper can be allowed to take one more. “We need to take a closer look at this practice, study it,” the Senator said.
Olga Bas, an observer from the CSTO PA, noted the exceptional implementation of the electoral laws during the electoral procedures. “Everything was clear, accessible, and transparent,” the Senator said. She also noted the smooth and friendly work of the members of the election commissions.
Senator Amir Argamakov, an observer from the CIS mission, supported her opinion. “The presidential election in Belarus was excellently organised.”
Olga Shchetinina, who observed the electoral process in Grodno on behalf of the CIS mission, stated that the process was strictly under the law, not only in accordance with the Constitution of Belarus, the Electoral Code, regulatory rules and acts of the Republic, but also with international conventions on democratic elections.
According to Natalia Kosykhina, who observed the elections at the invitation of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, no violations that could affect the course of voting or its results were revealed. Everything was honest, open and accessible.
Ruslan Smashnev, who also observed the voting at the invitation of the Belarusian Council of the Republic, noted the accessibility of polling stations for people with limited mobility. “It is important that information about all candidates is presented, and additional information necessary for an informed choice is also available.”
Between 24 and 27 January, Russian senators took part in observer missions to the presidential election in the Republic of Belarus. The delegation of the Federation Council included Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev (head of mission), senators Amir Argamakov, Olga Bas, Natalia Kosykhina, Alexei Sinitsyn, Ruslan Smashnev, Alexander Terentyev, and Olga Shchetinina.