Dispatch of Election Observer to the Parliamentary Elections of the Republic of Belarus

September 24, 2008

The Government of Japan has decided to dispatch an election observer from the Embassy of Japan in Belarus to the International Election Observation Mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) / the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to support the fair conduct of the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Belarus, which are scheduled for September 28 (Sun).
The upcoming parliamentary elections will be held following the end of the term (the previous elections were held in October 2004, and the term is four years). The international community including Japan is paying attention to the progress on democratization in Belarus, such as the decision by the Government of Belarus in August this year to release political prisoners. And it is important whether these elections are conducted in a fair and democratic manner in terms of promoting stability in Belarus and the region as a whole.
Approximately 300 election observers will participate in the OSCE/ODIHR International Election Observation Mission. The Government of Japan has decided to dispatch an election observer as part of its contribution for democratization and stability in Belarus.

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