Country:
Belarus
Organization:
Belarusian Helsinki Committee
Year:
2016
Election Type:
Parliamentary
Recommending Organization:
Coalition of organizations
Primary Thematic Area:
Election day
Subtopic of primary thematic area:
Election procedures (opening, voting, counting, tabulation)
Secondary Thematic Area:
Observation
Subtopic of secondary thematic area:
Access of Observers
Recommendation:
The current counting procedure is not transparent. One of the main reasons for this is the absence of a detailed description of the vote counting process in the Electoral Code. In this connection, it is necessary to legislate the following principles of the procedure of vote counting: counting of the votes shall be carried out publicly in the presence of observers who can monitor the accuracy of the voters’ choice on each ballot (i.e. to see the content of each ballot); counting of the votes shall be conducted by one of the commission members, who shall announce the voter’s choice and display each ballot to all the commission members and observers; counting of the votes shall be separate for each ballot box, and the results of separate counting of the votes shall be reflected separately for each ballot box in the final protocol. A copy of the final protocol shall be certified by the chairperson and secretary of the election commission, secured by the commission’s seal and issued to the observers at their request. It is also proposed to legislate the right of observers and candidates’ agents registered with the TECs to attend and observe the procedures for the transfer of ballots and protocols with voting results from the polling stations to the TECs.
Action required:
Legal change, Practice / Implementation
Degree of Recommendation's Priority / Urgency / Relevance:
High
Body / Institution Responsible for Implementation:
Ad Hoc Structures Created for Election Period, Authorities (general, broad), Election Management Body, Parliament
Implementation Status:
Rejected
Repeated implementation:
1444514400