The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) plans to send 40 long-term observers and 270 short-term observers to monitor Belarus’ forthcoming parliamentary elections, Mikalay Lazavik, secretary of the central election commission, told BelaPAN on Tuesday, referring to a report from an ODIHR needs assessment mission that stayed in the country between July 16 and July 18.

According to him, the mission recommended sending a “standard mission” to observe the September elections in order to assess their compliance with international standards and Belarus’ international commitments.

Mr. Lazavik said that he did now know when the OSCE/ODIHR long-term observers would arrive in Belarus.

He noted that as many as 15 long term-observers of the election mission of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) were already staying in the country.