BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

03/10/2008

Belarus elections: No room for opposition

MINSK (RIA Novosti, AP) - Parliamentary elections were held in the east European republic of Belarus Sunday. After failing to win a single seat n the national legislature Belarus opposition accused the authorities of rigging the vote as the country's president argued that the poll was a big step towards democracy.

On Monday, soon after the polling stations were closed the head of the Belarus elections commission said that opposition candidates had failed to gain a single seat in parliamentary elections. "No one from the opposition has made it into parliament," Lidiya Yermoshina told journalists.

She said that 99 seats out of a total of 110 had already been decided and had all gone to pro-government candidates.

Yermoshina suggested that the opposition had failed because, "voters are afraid to lose what they have," and added that people were unwilling to risk a radical change in their lives, and that if opposition figures came to power they could, "disrupt their calm, comfortable existence."

Lukashenko earlier said he expected European observers to approve the parliamentary polls as free and fair. After casting his vote on Sunday, he said that he hoped that if the polls went without a hitch, "the West will recognize Belarus."

Belarus opposition leaders called on the West not to recognize the results parliamentary elections. They alleged the vote was rigged and said the results cast doubt on Luka-shenko's commitment to democratic reform in the former Soviet republic, after his promises that Sunday's election would be free and fair.

"There was no election in Belarus," said Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the opposition United Civil Party. "It was an electoral farce for the West. We call on the EU and U.S. not to recognize the results of the election."

This year's poll was very different from the previous one four years ago when the opposition was not even allowed to run. But Lukashenko welcomed more than 400 election monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe this time around to prove he is embracing democratic reforms. Opposition protests in the past have often been crushed by police in scenes that have helped earn Belarus a reputation as Europe's last dictatorship. But on Sunday, authorities appeared to be trying to avoid the spectacle of protesters being beaten or arrested.

"It will be very difficult for the observers not to recognize these elections," Lukashenko said after casting his ballot.

Lukashenko - an open admirer of the Soviet Union who has run Belarus with a heavy hand since 1994 - has made some efforts to appease critics from abroad. They included freeing several opposition figures considered political prisoners by the West.

The attempt to improve relations with the West apparently reflects concerns about Belarus' over-reliance on neighboring Russia, which has begun scaling back the preferential energy deals that have helped keep the Belarusian economy afloat.

The United States and the European Union said they would watch the election carefully and promised to consider lifting sanctions imposed on Belarus if Lukashenko shows he is serious about allowing more political competition. Shortly after the preliminary results were announced monitors from the Organization for Security and Coope-ration in Europe said the poll fell short of democratic standards - an assessment echoed by the United States.

In reply, Lukashenko told OSCE observers Tuesday that the elections were conducted in line with Belarusian law. He said that Belarus now expects the EU to lift economic and travel sanctions against Belarus. "Belarus expects Europe to lift sanctions which have offended us," Lukashenko said at the meeting.

"Visa restrictions are a shame for Europe," Lukashenko said. "Let's cooperate normally. If Europe makes a step forward in political and economic cooperation, we will make three steps," the Belarus leader said.

In an apparent attempt to avert the Kremlin's anger over his efforts to mend ties with the West, Lukashenko added that "Europe would make a big mistake if it makes worsening of our ties with Russia a condition for improving ties."

The Russian Foreign Ministry said observers from the Moscow-led Com-monwealth of Independent States found the vote was conducted "in accordance to international norms of democratic elections."

Source:

http://www.mnweekly.ru/national/20081003/55349637.html

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