Publication

This paper was written in the build-up to the September 2012 elections in Belarus. The author contends that Belarus' political system prevents a transparent vote count and the election of opposition candidates. As a result, the author argues that the European Union should regard the next round of elections in 2015 as an opportunity to invest more in the capacity-building and training of civil society actors, notably domestic election observers. Turning voters into reliable rule of law watchdogs could raise awareness in, and demand for democracy in Belarus.