PACE discusses Belarusian issue

The Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) discusses the situation in Belarus at a meeting in Strasbourg today.

Discussion of the Belarusian issue is scheduled for morning, October 4, BelaPAN news agency reports.

PACE says the “parliamentary elections” held in Belarus on September 23 did not comply with international democratic standards.

PACE Special Rapporteur on Belarus Andres Herkel regretted in his statement that many OSCE commitments on citizens’ democratic rights to associate, to stand as candidates and to express themselves freely were not respected. He emphasized that the “elections” in Belarus were not administered in an impartial manner due to the lack of proper counting procedures or ways for observers to verify the results.

Herkel noted that two OSCE PA observers, Marieluise Beck (Germany) and Mr Emanuelis Zingeris (Lithuania), who planned to visit Belarus to monitor the elections, were denied Belarusian visas.

“I share Ms Beck's first reactions that 'Dictator Lukashenka is not even trying to keep up appearances of free and fair elections if he locks journalists and observers out'. This matter will be raised during the October part-session of the Assembly,” the special rapporteur said.