2001 press releases

U.S. Mission to OSCE on Upcoming Presidential Elections in Belarus (June 14, 2001)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The United States takes note of the presidential elections that have been set for September 9th in Belarus.

The presidential elections present Belarus with an opportunity to end its self-imposed isolation and return to its proper place in the Euro-Atlantic community. For this opportunity to be realized, however, the presidential elections must meet international norms for free and fair elections.

In this spirit, we call on the Belarusian authorities to immediately take concrete steps to meet the four criteria set by the OSCE Troika last year as well as to honor their commitments under the Copenhagen Document.

Free and fair elections consist of more than unhindered voting. There must also be an election campaign free of harassment and intimidation by the state power. The Belarusian authorities must end the climate of fear that makes such a campaign impossible. They need to release political prisoners Andrei Klimov and Valery Shchukin, who are both 13th Supreme Soviet Deputies; account for missing former Minister of Internal Affairs Yury Zakharenko, 13th Supreme Soviet Deputy Chairman Victor Gonchar and his associate Anatoly Krasovsky, and Russian ORT Television cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky. They also need to end the harassment of parties and NGOs, and allow the full and unhindered exercise of the freedom of assembly.

An election campaign free of harassment and intimidation cannot take place without freedom of expression and media. All candidates, including those from the opposition, must have equal and significant access to the state media. This is especially true of the Belarusian electronic media, which are monopolized by the state. The censorship of Russian television, which has reportedly happened twice in the last month, cannot be repeated. Harassment of the independent print media, including unfair tariffs for delivery, must end immediately.

Representative on Freedom of the Media Freimut Duve can provide assistance in addressing these media concerns. The Belarusian authorities should end the visa ban against Mr. Duve's senior advisor by immediately inviting Mr. Duve and his senior advisor to come to Minsk.

The electoral process itself needs to be fair, transparent, and democratic. Arbitrary disqualification of candidates on the basis of trivial technicalities, as was the practice in the October 2000 parliamentary elections, will undermine confidence in these elections.

Electoral commissions play a key role in ensuring that votes are counted accurately. The commissions must be open to significant representation of all political parties and candidates, including those in opposition.

It is essential that there be an extensive network of non-partisan observers that have free and unrestricted access to all parts of the electoral process, including all phases of counting and transportation of ballots. The Belarusian authorities need to begin to cooperate with the OSCE AMG and the NGO community in organizing such a network. It bears noting, again, that the AMG's work through a domestic election observation network that began in 1998 and that first observed local elections in 1999 with no objection lodged by the Belarusian authorities.

The free and unhindered operation of domestic and international observers will be central in determining the view of the international community to these elections. The Belarusian authorities need to immediately invite ODIHR to observe elections, so that it can make proper preparations and offer its expertise without further delay.

The U.S. joins the EU in its readiness to move toward normalizing relations with Belarus if the presidential election is free and fair.

Thank you.