European Parliament waits for Yarmoshyna's invitation

Representatives of the European Parliament expressed a wish to participate in observation over the progress of local elections in Belarus.

The European Parliament expects the Belarusian authorities to invite observers to local elections. It was stated on March 24 at a special press-conference dedicated to the EU-Neighborhood East Parliamentary Assembly (EURONEST PA), stated co-President of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Kristian Vigenin. MEPs would like to see how the recently made amendments to the electoral code would be applied, and whether tangible changes would be made in this sphere, the European Radio for Belarus reports.

As noted by the MEP, while the European parliament usually observes the presidential and parliamentary elections, and not local ones, an invitation of Belarusian authorities would be a positive sign. For instance, last week, he said, a decision was adopted to set up a delegation of observers at local elections in Georgia.

Kristian Vigenin stated that the local election is to become one of the most important indicators of Belarus' readiness to meet halfway with Europe.

It is up to Belarus to decide whether to invite us, Kristian Vigenin said. It would be a good idea. We are ready for compromises, but it depends on the Belarusian side whether signs of cooperation would be shown.

Foreign diplomats would be able to observe local elections as well, he said.

"I hope that foreign diplomats would be allowed to observe the elections, as we had been promised, and they would prepare a report for us," the MEP noted.

However, the deisre to monitor the local elections in Belarus is unlikely to coincide with the intentions of the chairman of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna. Before the election campaign started, she said that international observers would not be able to monitor the "election". And appeals of some representatives of the Belarusian opposition to the ODHR OSCE to send observers to the elections in Belarus were called by Yarmoshyna "a provocation".

As said by her, every country should have a consistent strategy and practice of involving intenational observers to the elections. "Foreign observers are not invited to local elections. If we invite them one time, we won't be able to stop this prantice," she said.

As charter97.org website infromed earlier, all election campaigns held in Belarus under Lukashenka regime since 1996 were recognized not free and not fair by the world community. Thus Lukashenka is illegitimate president since 1999. However at the referendum of 2004 not recognized by the international community, he recieved a rights to be re-elected for indefinite number of times. The head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna is banned entry to the EU countries and the US for rigging elections and referendum results.