Belarus Refuses OSCE Election Observation

Move seen as attempt by President Lukashenko to further consolidate power amid international criticism

Belarus has refused to invite the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to observe its upcoming parliamentary and local elections, a move that has been criticized by the international community.
The refusal is seen as a move by President Alexander Lukashenko to further strengthen his nearly three-decade rule.
The upcoming parliamentary vote on February 25 will be the first election since the contentious 2020 presidential election that gave Lukashenko his sixth term in office and triggered mass protests.
Belarusian authorities have carried out 're-registration' of political parties, granting credentials to only four pro-government parties out of 15 that had operated in the country at the beginning of last year.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in exile in neighboring Lithuania, has urged Belarusians to boycott the vote, calling it 'a farce without international monitoring.'