No legitimate parliament without free elections

• 14.04.2010, 15:10

Lithuania is against inviting representatives of the illegitimate Belarusian "parliament" to the EURONEST.

"In the EURONEST Belarus is to be represented by 10 representatives of the civil society," noted the head of the International affairs committee of the Lithuanian Seimas Emanuelis Zingeris at the meeting with the leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, ucpb.org website informs.

"We should be consistent and principled. If there is no free election, then it means there is no legitimate parliament," the Lithuanian MP said. IN such a situation it would be logical for representatives of the civil society only to represent Belarus in the EU-Neighborhood East Parliamentary Assembly (EURONEST PA). By our actions we should stimulate changes in Belarus, and not to preserve the present situation when deputies are not elected, but appointed".

As noted by Anatol Lyabedzka, "issues related to the election campaign to local councils in Belarus, to relations between Belarus and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe were also discussed at tge meeting".