OSCE: Final election report will be published in nearest days

Euroradio: It's been a month since the parliamentary election in Belarus, and the report of the ODIHR OSCE observing mission has not been published yet. Is it a normal practice?

Thomas Rymer: It usually takes 2 months. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Frankly speaking, it depends on our office schedule - we have limited personnel resources. This Autumn there were several elections in the framework of the OSCE responsibility.

Euroradio: What is used in the process of preparation of the final report: just the observations of the OSCE mission members or, for example, the report of the "Human Rights Defenders for Fair Elections" as well?

Thomas Rymer: The final report depends on our observations. We also monitor the media. There were short-term observers - we use their results. The final report is not an easy thing, we need to cover multiple issues. Therefore it usually takes several months.

Euroradio: Aren't your experts interested in their conclusions?

Thomas Rymer: During observation, we speak to many actors (of the electoral process - Euroradio). This list includes representatives of the country and the state, political parties, candidates, journalists. We also met with the representatives of the society that you are talking about.

Euroradio: Will you take into account the reaction of the international structures, for instance, the European Parliament?

Thomas Rymer: Their reaction is not our business. Our business is to publish our report, give our recommendations on how to improve professionalism, fulfillment of OSCE obligations in the electoral process. Our conclusions depend on the OSCE obligations and the international standards, and also on the Belarusian electoral legislation. 

Euroradio: The Belarusian CEC officials and the authorities accuse the ODIHR OSCE in having double standards. Like, you were not admitted to the U.S. election and you keep silence on that, blaming us of some violations all the time...

Thomas Rymer: For me, this is not an issue of double standards. We have the OSCE obligations, connected with the elections. You can see any of our previous reports on the U.S. election, or take any other country, if you want. It includes our observations with regard to fulfillment of the OSCE obligations. We use one and the same standards in every country. It is not our concern to watch over the situation in the United States, Russia, Belarus, Germany, Spain etc. We only watch over the electoral process. We make sure that the international standards, the OSCE obligations and the Belarusian legislation are followed during the electoral process. 

In the photo: Special Coordinator of  the OSCE short-term election observation mission Matteo Mecca and head of the ODIHR OSCE delegation for election observation  Antonio Milososki

Euroradio: Who is currently working on the final report: the observers, who were in the election, or the "desk" experts?

Thomas Rymer: The mission itself is a group of experts. They worked in the election and, of course, are now working on the resulting report. Still, there are experts in the OSCE commitments, and they also work with these experts. Of course, observers working "on the ground" and these experts are working together.

Euroradio: The Belarusian CEC also make conclusions on the parliamentary election, by preparing some amendments to the legislation. The amendments are expected to protect the electoral process from boycott. Will this be reflected in the final report?

Thomas Rymer: What is happening now is not a subject for the report. However, this report includes recommendations. Our Office is always ready to help the OSCE member countries to fulfill these recommendations. If there is an invitation from the Belarusian government, we are ready to carry out the necessary expertise.

Photo: Thomas Rymer at a rally held by Belarusians near the ODIHR OSCE office in Warsaw


Euroradio: There are doubts that you will be invited to the next election, let alone taking an extra expert, after the publication of the final report!

Thomas Rymer: This is an obligation of the Belarusian authorities, to invite our Bureau to observe your election. Belarus is obliged to do this as any other member of the OSCE.

Euroradio: What would happen if they don’t invite you - any sanctions?

Thomas Rymer: Actually, this is supposedly a promise that the OSCE members made to each other - to invite observers to the elections. This is not a legal obligation – just a political one. I cannot predict the reaction, because there has never been such a situation. Still, it is necessary to behave like a normal democratic country among the OSCE members.  Just imagine - we all have agreed what it should be like, and some country decides it should be the other way round. A very unpleasant situation.

Photo: Euroradio