“Gazeta Wyborcza”: Sikorski and Westerwelle to deliver ultimatum to Lukashenka

Election fraud or crackdown on the opposition protests would relations of Belarus with the West.

The diplomatic heads of Poland and Germany Radoslaw Sikorski and Guido Westerwelle are to visit Minsk on an official visit this Tuesday.

As “Gazeta Wyborcza” writes in an editorial comment (translation by the Polish Radio), in connection with the upcoming presidential election on December 19 in Belarus the both ministers want to deliver a clear European message to Lukashenka, for the election to be free and fair. “The Belarusian opposition raises the alarm stating that the election will be rigged, for Lukashenka to win in the first ballot,” the newspaper notes.

The Belarusian dictator is stopped from holding the runoff election by his arrogance. His victory must be a dramatic one, even if it is won at the cost of a fraud. The Foreign Ministers Sikorski and Westerwelle are to present Lukashenka an offer: a fair election is to open a chance for deepening cooperation with the EU. An election fraud or cruel crackdown on opposition protest will cancel out this chance. This proposal sound rational – today Lukashenka has the worse relations with Moscow ever. Russia does not render the vital economic assistance, and it means that to a certain extent Lukashenka has to seek support of the West”.

In its comment “Gazeta Wyborcza” attracts attention to the fact that the Belarusian mission of the Foreign Ministers of Poland and Germany is very risky, as the chances for it to be successful are vanishing, and on the other hand, Lukashenka could attempt to use the meeting with the Western politicians to demonstrate his ties with European political community in the run-up to the election.

“Sikorski and Westerwelle are going to Minsk on Tuesday without excessive hopes for success of this mission,” “Gazeta Wyborcza” concludes.