The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) announced it will not send observers for the presidential elections in Belarus scheduled for January 6. The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) expressed regret over the Belarusian authorities' decision not to invite OSCE observers, stating that this deprives citizens of a transparent assessment of the electoral process.
ODIHR Director Maria Telearian emphasized the importance of observer presence for enhancing the credibility of elections, citing commitments made by Belarus under the 1990 Copenhagen Document. This marks the third time since the controversial presidential elections of August 2020 that ODIHR has been unable to monitor elections in Belarus due to late invitations.
On January 17, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it would extend an invitation to ODIHR for election observation. The Central Election Commission (CEC) reported the accreditation of 456 international observers from 49 countries. However, ODIHR indicated that the invitation was issued too late for meaningful observation of the electoral process, which is crucial for assessing key stages of the elections.
The U.S. State Department condemned the lack of timely invitations for OSCE observers, labeling the upcoming elections as a sham and criticizing ongoing repression in Belarus. Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that the regime's actions display a disregard for a transparent electoral process and its commitments as an OSCE participant.
As of December 23, the CEC registered five presidential candidates. The election campaign occurs amidst ongoing repression, with Belarusian citizens abroad barred from voting at diplomatic missions since 2022.