Karpenko: Belarus interested in Russian electoral experience

The past Russian parliamentary election campaign was perceived by the Central Election Commission of Belarus as a platform for studying electoral experience. This was announced by the head of the CEC of Belarus Igor Karpenko at a briefing in the CEC of Russia, the correspondent of the agency “Minsk-Novosti”.

The Belarusian delegation took part in the international observation of the elections of deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

- These are parliamentarians, election organizers, experts, diplomats who observed the elections in various regions of the country, as well as at seven polling stations that were established in the Republic of Belarus. The CEC of Belarus traditionally takes part in international monitoring. This is due to our friendly relations and bilateral strategic partnership, as well as the fact that we are trying to study the positive experience of our colleagues in organizing elections, the head of the CEC of Belarus said.

Karpenko said that representatives of the CEC of Belarus also took part in an international conference where they exchanged electoral experience and held bilateral negotiations on the implementation of the electoral rights of citizens of Belarus and Russia to participate in elections to local representative authorities.

- We perceived the election campaign in Russia as a platform for studying electoral experience. Indeed, the elections showed the large-scale work of the Central Election Commission, territorial commissions, precinct and other state bodies on legal education of citizens in the field of electoral law and technologies, on the use of digital mechanisms for managing the electoral process, as well as the use of modern technologies in the development of the electoral system of the Russian Federation, the Chairman of the CEC of Belarus said.

It is important to note that representatives of the CEC of Belarus worked both as part of the CIS and SCO missions and as independent experts. Karpenko said that he personally visited seven polling stations in Moscow and eight in the Moscow region. He drew special attention to the openness and goodwill of the members of the precinct commissions, their high level of preparedness.

- The experience of the Russian Federation in using the potential of electoral volunteers, with whom I managed to communicate at polling stations, was particularly interesting for us. We in Belarus have come to the fact that we are planning the legal regulation of the activities of such volunteers, so this communication was especially useful for us, Karpenko said.

According to the head of the CEC of Belarus, the elections in Russia were organized, competitive and open.