2000 press releases

Head of U.S. Mission to OSCE on Ambassador Wieck's Report on Parliamentary Elections in Belarus (November 2, 2000)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

We very much appreciate the detailed report that Ambassador Wieck [Ambassador Hans-Georg Wieck, head of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Belarus] has provided us this morning. We would like to reaffirm our support for him and his staff in their tireless efforts to promote a return to democracy in Belarus.

We regret that despite the best efforts of him, his colleagues at the Advisory and Monitoring Group, the Parliamentary Assembly Troika, ODIHR [OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights], and many others in the international community, the recent elections in Belarus were indeed a setback for democracy.

We are, nonetheless, convinced that the AMG has made a positive contribution, particularly with regard to its dialogue with the government, the opposition, and the NGO community.

Indeed, its groundbreaking work with NGOs in establishing a network of over 5,500 domestic election observers working at 3,500 polling stations deserves special mention and praise.

As Ambassador Wieck mentioned, those observers substantiated that the required 50 percent threshold was not met in more than a third of the constituencies. They also established strong evidence that the nationwide turnout was about 40 percent, rather than the 60 percent claimed. And they documented 80 different methods employed to manipulate the vote count.

Mr. Chairman, the recent elections regrettably did not meet Belarus's OSCE commitments and were neither free, fair, nor democratic. In this light, we believe the 13th Supreme Soviet, led by Chairman Semyon Sharetsky, should continue to be accepted by the international community as the legitimate parliament of Belarus.

But, Mr. Chairman, while one should not forget the past, it is even more important to look to the future and next year's presidential elections.

Belarusian authorities assert that President Lukashenko enjoys the overwhelming popular support of Belarus' citizens. We are willing to put that proposition to the test. If he holds free, fair and transparent elections that allow for a real contest with the opposition, we will be the first to accept their outcome.

But for this to take place, the government needs to take concrete, significant and irreversible steps now to meet the four criteria established by the Troika. It needs to allow the democratic opposition access to the state-controlled media; to comply with human rights standards, including the release of political prisoners and an end to show trials; to reform the electoral code in keeping with ODIHR's recommendations; and to work with the AMG, ODIHR and the Parliamentary Troika and allow them further to develop a dialogue with the opposition and the NGO community.

We are convinced that the AMG through its outreach, as well as its programs with the Belarusian authorities, the opposition and civil society and its continued monitoring and reporting can continue to play a significant role. We take note of AMG priorities and add that a robust and proactive presence on its part is needed now more than ever.

The Belarusian people deserve a free and fair election. The Belarusian authorities need to take the necessary steps now to carry out free and fair elections next year. Only then will those elections win the respect of the international community.

Thank you.