The round table was held in St. Petersburg as part of the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Building Trust in the Institution of Elections and Referendums: the Role of International Observation” dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the International Institute for Monitoring Democracy Development, Parliamentarianism and Suffrage Protection of Citizens of IPA CIS Member Nations (IPA CIS IIMDD).

The conference was organised by the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and the Consultative Council of Heads of Electoral Bodies of CIS Member Nations. Parliamentarians of the CIS countries, representatives of international organisations, government and election administration bodies, public organisations, as well as academics and experts.

Elena Semashko noted that the 20th anniversary of the IPA CIS IIMDD confirms the relevance and effectiveness of this subsidiary advisory body. This is a twenty-year history of dialogue, which, as we know, is the path to trust and development. Trust in the institution of elections, in turn, is a prerequisite for the existence of legitimate power and a sovereign state.

In her report on the role of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus in ensuring electoral sovereignty Elena Semashko focused on several actual issues: approaches to the relationship between the concepts of state and electoral sovereignty, and the ways in which international observation can enhance trust in elections while strictly respecting both electoral and state sovereignty. The speaker outlined the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus that form the legislative foundation for ensuring electoral sovereignty, focusing on the provisions of the Basic Law concerning the legitimacy of elections and the constitutionality of their conduct.