Meeting of CIS Advisory Board of Heads of Election Administration Authorities Took Place in Belarus

19 September 2024

Meeting of CIS Advisory Board of Heads of Election Administration Authorities Took Place in Belarus

The third meeting of the CIS Advisory Board of the Heads of Election Administration Authorities was held today in Minsk.

President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko met with the members of the Board.

It was attended by Chair of the CEC of Belarus Igor Karpenko, Chair of the CEC of Kazakhstan Nurlan Abdirov, Chair of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurzhan Shayldabekova, Chair of the CEC of the Russian Federation Ella Pamfilova, Chair of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of the Republic of Tajikistan Bakhtiyor Khudoyorzoda, Deputy Chair of the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda of Turkmenistan Amangeldi Gandymov. Chair of the CEC of Uzbekistan Zayniddin Nizamkhodjaev, Member of the CEC of Armenia Nune Oganesia took part in the meeting online.

The CIS Executive Committee was represented by First Deputy Secretary General of the CIS Leonid Anfimov, and the IPA CIS was represented by Deputy Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat – Director of the International Institute for Monitoring the Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS IIMDD) Ivan Mushket

The chairmanship of the Advisory Board passed from the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Belarus. The meeting adopted the Board’s statement condemning any attempts to interfere in the Commonwealth’s electoral practices. In addition, the interaction of the Assembly and the CIS Executive Committee with other monitoring missions to share best practices, build confidence and avoid double standards was welcomed. The participants discussed the establishment of a public youth commission under the Advisory Board.

Ivan Mushket presented a report on the methodology of international observation of elections and referendums based on a comprehensive study conducted by a team of staff members and experts of the Institute during 2023 – 2024.

He noted that the methodology used enabled international observation to be conducted in compliance with the fundamental principles enshrined in international instruments. These principles include respect for State sovereignty, openness, universality, reciprocity, professionalism, impartiality, objectivity, effective assistance, legality, security, non-interference in the electoral process, and inadmissibility of foreign interference in elections.

Also, the Director of the IPA CIS IIMDD informed the members of the Advisory Board about the results of the international research and practice conference “The Institute of Presidential Power in the CIS Countries” held on 23 May in St. Petersburg and told about the events on electoral issues planned for the autumn of this year.

The Advisory Board is an interstate body of the Commonwealth of Independent States. It was established in 2022 to ensure cooperation between the electoral bodies of the CIS Member Nations in order to promote the improvement of the electoral process in the Commonwealth.

Photo: cis.minsk.by, president.gov.by.