Election 2015. CIS mission: High level of public awareness of president election campaign in Belarus

MINSK (BelTA) – The presidential election campaign in Belarus is widely covered by the media, and the level of public awareness is high, Yevgeny Sloboda, the chief of staff of the CIS observation mission during the Belarus president election, told BelTA.

“Voters can get all the necessary information about the presidential candidates and their programs at any time. Besides, each candidate is provided with an opportunity to speak out and convey their position to Belarusian people,” Yevgeny Sloboda noted. He also said that he visited territorial and precinct election commissions of Minsk District, Lyuban District, and Logoisk District of Minsk Oblast the other day.

He met with election officials and got convinced that the preparations for the presidential election are progressing in compliance with the Belarusian electoral law.

“We visited more than a half of the territorial commissions and some 300 precinct commissions, and made no serious complaints. There were some technical issues. For example, at some polling stations we asked to put the ballot boxes in a more convenient place. The election officials carefully considered all our comments, and all the shortcomings were immediately addressed,” Yevgeny Sloboda noted.

He also said that the process of regional distribution of CIS observers is nearing completion. All in all, some 400 CIS observers will be monitoring the presidential election in Belarus. On the election day, Yevgeny Sloboda will be working in Minsk.