Lidia Mikhailovna Yermoshina ( be, Лідзія Міхайлаўна Ярмошына ''Lidziya Mikhaylauna Yarmoshyna''; russian: Лидия Михайловна Ермошина ''Lidiya Mikhaylovna Ermoshina''; born 29 January 1953) is a
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
ian politician. She was a member of the
Central Election Commission of Belarus
The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus (CEC; be, Цэнтральная камісія па выбарах і правядзеньні рэспубліканскіх рэфэрэндумаў Рэспублікі Белару ...
(1992–1996), and Chairwoman (1996–2021).
Biography
Yermoshina was born in
Slutsk
Slutsk ( officially transliterated as Sluck, be, Слуцк; russian: Слуцк; pl, Słuck, lt, Sluckas, Yiddish/Hebrew: סלוצק ''Slutsk'') is a city in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2022, its population i ...
,
Minsk Voblast
Minsk Region or Minsk Oblast or Minsk Voblasts ( be, Мі́нская во́бласць, ''Minskaja voblasć'' ; russian: Минская о́бласть, ''Minskaya oblast'') is one of the regions of Belarus. Its administrative center is Minsk, ...
on 29 January 1953.
In 1975, she graduated from the Faculty of Law at the
Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University
Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (IKBFU; russian: Балтийский федеральный университет имени Иммануила Канта) formerly known as the ''Immanuel Kant Russian State University'' (russian: Ро ...
. Beginning in 1975, she worked as a legal advisor until becoming an attorney's assistant in 1987. She became Chairwoman of the Judiciary of the City Executive Committee of
Babruysk
Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
in 1988, a post she held until 1996.
Belarusian elections
She has been a member of the
Central Election Commission of Belarus
The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus (CEC; be, Цэнтральная камісія па выбарах і правядзеньні рэспубліканскіх рэфэрэндумаў Рэспублікі Белару ...
since 1992, and Chairwoman of the organization since 1996. She was appointed by decree by
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian language, Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian language, Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;, ; rus, Александр Григорьевич Лука ...
in contradiction with the
Constitution of Belarus
The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus ( be, Канстытуцыя Рэспублікі Беларусь, russian: Конституция Республики Беларусь) is the ultimate law of Belarus. The Constitution is composed of ...
, which stated that the candidacy of the Chairman of the CEC must be approved by the
Supreme Council of Belarus
The Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus, sometimes translated as Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus ( be, Вярхоўны Савет Рэспублікі Беларусь), was the unicameral legislature of Belarus between 1991 an ...
. The previous Chairman,
Viktar Hanchar
Viktar Hanchar, or Viktar Hančar ( be, Віктар Ганчар, russian: Виктор Гончар, Viktor Gonchar, September 7, 1957 – September 16, 1999?) was a Belarusian politician who disappeared and was presumably murdered in 1999. He w ...
, had been an active critic of the
1996 Belarusian referendum
A seven-question referendum was held in Belarus on 24 November 1996. Four questions were put forward by President Alexander Lukashenko on changing the date of the country's independence day, amending the constitution, changing laws on the sale ...
and was removed by Lukashenko after serving just little over a month.
In 2004, following the
2004 Belarusian parliamentary election and
constitutional referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
, Yermoshina was banned from entering the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
for allegedly participating in the manipulation of the results of the presidential election. Following the same accusations, in 2006, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
included her in the sanction list as well. The ban was lifted in 2008.
On 15 December 2010, presidential candidate
Andrei Sannikov
Andrei Olegovich Sannikov (or Andrei Sannikau, be, Андрэй Алегавіч Саннікаў, russian: Андрей Олегович Санников, born 8 March 1954) is a Belarusian politician and activist. In the early 1990s, he headed ...
logged a legal complaint application to the
Central Election Commission of Belarus
The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Belarus (CEC; be, Цэнтральная камісія па выбарах і правядзеньні рэспубліканскіх рэфэрэндумаў Рэспублікі Белару ...
, demanding they remove Yermoshyna from her office as Chairperson of the Central Election Commission. He cited that her position was illegal, as Yermoshyna was a member of incumbent
Aleksandr Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (as transliterated from Russian; also transliterated from Belarusian as Alyaksand(a)r Ryhoravich Lukashenka;, ; rus, Александр Григорьевич Лукашенко, Aleksandr Grigoryevich Luk ...
's political team, compromising her neutrality, and was under international scrutiny for purportedly rigging the previous election. The complaints were ineffective.
Yermoshina was again sanctioned by the European Union in the aftermath of the 2010 election; these sanctions were suspended in 2015 and lifted in 2016.
On 9 August 2020, Yermoshina appeared on Belarusian TV to condemn the "deliberate provocations" of protest voters in the
2020 Belarusian presidential election. She also described long queues outside polling stations as an attempt at "sabotage" by the opposition.
Independent observers of the election have noted vote counting irregularities and dozens have been subject to harassment and detention.
U.S.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Michael Richard Pompeo (; born December 30, 1963) is an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served under President Donald Trump as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2017 to 2018 and as the 70th United State ...
described the elections as "neither free nor fair." After the election and the
subsequent protests, Yermoshina was banned from entering the European Union,
[ the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Canada.
Yermoshina was replaced by the former Minister of Education on 13 December 2021.
]
Personal life
Lidia Yermoshina has been divorced twice, and has a son who died at age 40 of unknown causes in June 2016.
See also
*1996 Belarusian referendum
A seven-question referendum was held in Belarus on 24 November 1996. Four questions were put forward by President Alexander Lukashenko on changing the date of the country's independence day, amending the constitution, changing laws on the sale ...
*2006 Belarusian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Belarus on 19 March 2006. The result was a victory for incumbent, President Alexander Lukashenko, who received 84.4% of the vote. However, Western observers deemed the elections rigged. The Organization for Sec ...
*2010 Belarusian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Belarus on 19 December 2010. The elections were had originally been planned for the beginning of 2011. However, the final date was set during an extraordinary session of the National Assembly on 14 September 20 ...
References
External links
Who is who in Belarus
1953 births
Living people
People from Slutsk
Belarusian people of Ukrainian descent
20th-century Belarusian women politicians
20th-century Belarusian politicians
Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University alumni
Members of election commissions
Belarusian individuals subject to the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions
Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List
21st-century Belarusian women politicians
21st-century Belarusian politicians
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