1999 press releases

Presidential Term of Office (July 20, 1999)

The end of Belarusian President Lukashenko's legal term of office today underscores once again the need to resolve the country's constitutional impasse. The Lukashenko regime bears responsibility for this impasse, which resulted from the changes Mr. Lukashenko made to the Belarusian constitution on the basis of a flawed and unconstitutional referendum in 1996. That referendum was widely condemned by the international community. These changes, the arbitrary extension of his term of office beyond July 20, 1999, and his suppression of the voices that rose in protest, have further undermined Lukashenko's democratic legitimacy and betrayed the democratic framework in which he had been elected.

Lukashenko's legitimacy as an elected representative of the Belarusian people can only be restored by free and fair democratic elections in which all political parties can participate on an equal basis. The Supreme Soviet, which the United States and much of the international community continue to recognize as Belarus' sole legitimate parliament, has a right to take its case to the Belarusian people. That right should be respected.

We again call upon the government of Belarus to enter into a dialogue with the opposition without preconditions and to observe internationally recognized human rights. Only through dialogue and respect for human rights can Belarus return to the path of democracy and resume its place in the international community.