BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
13/01/2011
MEPs condemn Belarus presidential elections
Belarus has been described as being run by a "criminal regime", during a special hearing of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee following the country's recent presidential elections.
The claim was made by Estonian liberal MEP Kristiina Ojuland, following the election that saw incumbent president Alexander Lukashenko re-elected for a fourth term in December, in an election that was described as "flawed" by independent observers.
Security forces in the capital Minsk arrested and imprisoned more than 600 opposition activists in riots that took place immediately following the disputed election, which saw President Lukashenko returned to power with a reported 80% of the vote.
At least seven presidential candidates were among those detained and some of them were reportedly also beaten by police.
The special committee session was opened by the President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, who said the Lukashenko government lacked "democratic legitimacy".
He said there needed to be a "revision" of EU policy towards Belarus.
However European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule told MEPs that there should be no return to the previous policy of "isolating or cutting off Belarus".
He described the country as "neighbours and partners of the EU" and suggested alternative sanctions such as a travel ban on President Lukashenko.
British conservative MEP Charles Tannock described Lukashenko as the "Homo Sovieticus" of Europe, and called for the Belarussian constitutional court to call for a re-run of the elections, similar to what happened in Ukraine during the Orange Revolution.
Foreign Affairs Committee
* Gabriele Albertini (EPP, Ita) Chair
* Fiorello Provera (EFD, Ita) Vice-Chair
* Ioan Pascu (S&D, Rom) Vice-Chair
* Dominique Baudis (EPP, Fra) Vice-Chair
* Jean-Luc Melenchon (GUE, Fra) Vice-Chair
* Pino Arlacchi (ALDE, Ita)
* Robert Atkins (ECR, UK)
* Johannes van Baalen (ALDE, Net)
* Bastiaan Belder (EFD, Net)
* Franziska Brantner (GRN/EFA, Ger)
* Frieda Brepoel (GRN/EFA, Bel)
* Elmar Brok (EPP, Ger)
* Arnaud Danjean (EPP, Fra)
* Mario David (EPP, Por)
* Luigi De Mita (EPP, Ita)
* Michael Gahler (EPP, Ger)
* Marietta Giannakou (EPP, Gre)
* Ana Gomes (S&D, Por)
* Andrzej Grzyb (EPP, Pol)
* Takis Hadjigeorgiou (GUE, Cyp)
* Heidi Hautala (GRN/EFA. Fin)
* Richard Howitt (S&D, UK)
* Anna Ibrisagic (EPP, Swe)
* Anneli Jaateenmaki (ALDE, Fin)
* Jelko Kacin (ALDE, Slo)
* Ioannis Kasoulides (EPP, Cyp)
* Tunne Kelam (EPP, Est)
* Nicole Kiil-Nielsen (GRN/EFA, Fra)
* Maria Koppa (S&D, Gre)
* Andrey Kovatchev (EPP, Bul)
* Pawel Kowal (ECR, Pol)
* Wolfgang Kreisl-Dorfler (S&D, Ger)
* Eduard Kukan (EPP, Slv)
* Alex Lambsdorff (ALDE, Ger)
* Vaytautas Landsbergis (EPP, Lit)
* Ryszard Legutko (ECR, Pol)
* Krzysztof Lisek (EPP, Pol)
* Sabine Losing (GUE, Ger)
* Ulrike Lunacek (GRN/EFA, Aus)
* Barry Madlener (NI, Net)
* Mario Mauro (EPP, Ita)
* Kyriakos Mavronikolas (S&D, Cyp)
* Willy Meyer (GUE, Spa)
* Francisco Millan Mon (EPP, Spa)
* Alexander Mirsky (S&D, Lat)
* Andreas Molzer (NI, Aus)
* Maria Muniz de Urquiza (S&D, Spa)
* Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck (ALDE, Bel)
* Norica Nicolai (ALDE, Rom)
* Raimon Obials (S&D, Spa)
* Kristiina Ojuland (ALDE, Est)
* Ria Oomen-Ruijten (EPP, Net)
* Justas Paleckis (S&D, Lit)
* Pier Panzeri (S&D, Ita)
* Vincent Peillon (S&D, Fra)
* Alojz Peterle (EPP, Slo)
* Miroslaw Piotrowski (ECR, Pol)
* Bernd Posselt (EPP, Ger)
* Hans-Gert Pottering (EPP, Ger)
* Cristian Preda (EPP, Rom)
* Libor Roucek (S&D, Cze)
* Jose Salafranca Sanchez-Neyra (EPP, Spa)
* Nikolaos Salavrakos (EFD, Gre)
* Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (EPP, Pol)
* Werner Schulz (GRN/EFA, Ger)
* Adrian Severin (S&D, Rom)
* Marec Siwiec (S&D, Pol)
* Ernst Strasser (EPP, Aus)
* Hannes Swoboda (S&D, Aus)
* Charles Tannock (ECR, UK)
* Zoran Thaler (S&D, Slo)
* Inese Vaidere (EPP, Lat)
* Geoffrey Van Orden (ECR, UK)
* Kristian Vigenin (S&D, Bul)
* Graham Watson (ALDE, Ger)
* Boris Zala (S
Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/europe/newsid_9355000/9355078.stm
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