Konstantin Zatulin: the elections in Belarus were held in a good atmosphere

On March 1, members of the Belarusian CEC heard the information from the chairmen of the election commissions in the regions and in Minsk city on the results of the elections of Deputies of the House of Representatives and local Councils of Deputies on a single voting day in the regions.

About 300 international observers, including observers from the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, were monitoring the elections in Belarus. 

In an interview with the press service of the CSTO PA, Konstantin Zatulin, first deputy Chairman of the Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration, and Relations with Compatriots of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, shared his impressions on the monitoring of the Belarusian elections. 

"In general, the impression from the elections in Belarus is positive. They were held without conflicts, without any confrontations. This is important. The attitude to the observers was friendly," said Mr. Zatulin.

The parliamentarian also noted the high level of organization of the elections and entertainment programs for voters, which created a truly festive atmosphere.

"At three polling stations, which were located in the movie theater "Salut", people had the pleasure to watch a concert after the elections, where the band "Pesniary" performed as well. As for professional issues and some minor moments, they exist in any election. And Belarus is no exception. It seems to me that here, the chairmen of election commissions had to try even more actively to attract people to the polling stations," said the deputy.

He added that at most polling stations, the chairmen understood this task.

"However, it should be noted that this has nothing to do with forcing someone to vote for somebody. But the chairmen of commissions are perfectly capable of attracting people. And there's nothing wrong with that," concluded Konstantin Zatulin.

The next elections in the Republic of Belarus, to elect delegates to the All-Belarusian People's Assembly from local Councils of Deputies and civil society, are scheduled for April 1-10, 2024.