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Belarusians Ponder Electoral Body’s Independence
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in Belarus are split in their assessment of the Central Election Committee (CEC), according to a poll by the Independent Institute for Social, Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS). 46.9 per cent of respondents regard the CEC as an impartial agency guided by the rule of law, 31.3 per cent describe it as a pro-government operation, and 19.5 per cent believe it favours certain candidates.
Belarus seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991. In 1994, independent candidate Aleksandr Lukashenko won the presidential election, boosted by his popularity after acting as chairman of an anti-corruption parliamentary committee. Lukashenko remains the country’s president to this day.
In March 2006, Lukashenko won the presidential election with 82.6 per cent of the vote. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the ballot "did not meet the required international standards for free and fair elections" and was "severely flawed due to arbitrary use of state power and restrictions to basic rights."
Belarus held a legislative election on Sept. 28. On Sept. 29, The CEC said the opposition failed to elect one single representative to the legislature, declaring, "The 99 elected candidates support the current authorities. There is no opponent among them."
Last month, CEC representatives travelled to Venezuela to act as election monitors in a nationwide municipal election. The CEC said that this is "the first official contact at the level of the Central Election Commissions of Belarus and Venezuela."
Polling Data
Which of the listed below statements do you agree with?
|
The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Republic of Belarus is an impartial organ which is guided only by the law in its work |
46.9% |
|
The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Republic of Belarus takes decisions which are favourable for the candidates who support the authorities |
31.3% |
|
The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Republic of Belarus takes decisions which are favourable for certain candidates |
19.5% |
|
Not sure |
2.3% |
Source: Independent Institute for Social, Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS)
Methodology: Interviews with 1,512 Belarusian adults, conducted from Oct. 2 to Oct. 12, 2008. No margin of error was provided.