Non-Governmental Organizations Discuss Possibilities and Tools to Amend the Belarusian Election Legislation.

Non-Governmental Organizations Discuss Possibilities and Tools to Amend the Belarusian Election Legislation. The Discussion focuses on Legal Aspects of Elections to Local Councils. Participant of the International Conference, planned for the beginning of December, will concentrate on international standards of democratic election and Belarusian election legislation.

Human Rights Center "Viasna" organizes the international conference on 5-6 December in Minsk. Foreign experts in the election legislation, representatives of non-governmental organizations and political parties, and mass media will participate in the conference. The organizers have invited members of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, representatives of the Central Election Commission, National Center for Law Draft Center, and other official bodies.
The representative of ACEEEO (Association of Central and Eastern European Election Organizers) confirmed his participation in the conference. This influential international structure (Belarusian CEC is also a member) observed the presidential election 2001 and worked out certain recommendations in order to make the election procedure more democratic. Unfortunately, Belarus has still not taken them into account.
During the plenary session the participants will be able to hear the reports of well-known Belarusian and foreign lawyers, representatives of the non-governmental organizations and political parties. If the members of the parliament, Central Election Commission, and other official bodies accept the invitation, they will also have the floor during the plenary session. The participants will work out their recommendations for amending the election legislation in working groups, which will discuss the following aspects: "International standards of organizing and conducting voting procedure"; "Procedure of forming election commissions – guarantees of neutrality"; "Election observation – guarantees of open and transparent election procedure"; and "role of mass media in election process".
After the discussion of the working group reports the participants will work out general recommendations and carry a resolution.
The results of the conference will be published, as well as submitted to the state bodies, which deal with election process.