The observer mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) believes that the Belarusian parliamentary elections, held on Sunday, were organized well, but remains disappointed as Belarus ignored its recommendations, the head of the mission, David Maclean, said on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th November, 2019) The observer mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) believes that the Belarusian parliamentary elections, held on Sunday, were organized well, but remains disappointed as Belarus ignored its recommendations, the head of the mission, David Maclean, said on Monday."The voting on Sunday was well organized, and I wish to thank the staff of polling stations for their kind welcome to all of us and for their friendliness. However, elections are not just about voting on the polling day, there is also, and perhaps, of more importance, the election law governing the whole land of the campaign. In that regard, our team of the Council of Europe reported a number of concerns ... Belarus is a member of our European family, and we expect all the members of our family to adhere with international electoral standards. We are disappointed, therefore, that Belarus has not implemented the recommendations we made in 2016, thus depriving their citizens, both voters and candidates of full involvement in the democratic process. The Council of Europe believes that electoral law changes are essential for the long-term stability of the democratic process in Belarus," Maclean said.
