BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

13/03/2006

Russia Fears OSCE 'Bias' In Belarus Election

March 13, 2006 -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin today said that Russia fears the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will produce an assessment of the presidential elections in Belarus that is " colored by ideology."

Russia has in the past accused the international organization of bias in its judgments about the quality of elections in the former Soviet Union. Russia is a member of the OSCE.

Authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is seeking a third term in office on March 19. European Union and U.S. officials have said they do not expect the vote to be democratic.

Lukashenka, an ally of Russia, has accused Western governments of trying to undermine his rule by stirring up opposition ahead of the elections.

(AP, RIA-Novosti)

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/03/4B3DC9E9-1A42-45DD-A67A-E14FE827DB94.html