Lithuania's Central Electoral Commission (VRK) has decided to withdraw from the Association of European Election Officials (ACEEEO) after it has failed to garner enough votes to expel Russia and Belarus.
“Membership in an association that fails to take a decision on the expulsion of representatives of two aggressor countries is totally incompatible with the fundamental principles of democracy and human rights,” VRK chair Jolanta Petkevičienė said in a press release on Tuesday.
Last week, the Lithuanian election watchdog called on the ACEEEO to expel Russian and Belarusian election officials due to the war against Ukraine. Similar calls were sent to the board of the association by Ukraine, Latvia, Slovenia, and Romania.
The VRK reported that 9 out of 25 members of the association voted for expelling Russia’s and Belarus’ electoral commissions, two members abstained and the remaining did not take part in the vote. Votes of at least 17 countries were needed in order to expel Russia and Belarus.
The Lithuanian electoral commission has announced that it is cancelling its membership in the ACEEEO effective from Tuesday.
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