Elmar Brok: «Europe won’t recognize results of “elections” in Belarus”

• 30.09.2008, 14:38

A German Member of the European Parliament Elmar Brok believes that Europe won’t recognize the results of the “election” in Belarus, as they didn’t correspond to international standards.

“It should be noted that during the election campaigning, agitation, as well as during voting, actions of the opposition were limited. I mean access to mass media, to communication with voters. Besides, facts of persecution of opposition activists by the official regime have been recorded. And these are not characteristic features of free and fair elections. There is also information that students and some other categories of citizens were forces to vote in advance, and even suggested for whom to vote. This all shows that opposition candidates didn’t have realistic chances, that is why Lukashenka cannot claim that the election in the country was free, fair and democratic,” the politician said in an interview to Deutsche Welle.

To the question whether the EU would recognize the results of the “parliamentary elections” in Belarus, Elmar Brok answered:

“According to information I have, this won’t take place. It is natural that over the next few days we are to study reports of observers and opposition, and then a decision is to be adopted. However, I do not see signs that this election was held according to the Council of Europe or OSCE standards”.