Belarus elections

[kaaos_af]

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/883ec306-9459-11da-82ea-0000779e2340.html


Financial Times
February 3, 2006


Plea to help unseat 'the last dictator in Europe'
By Daniel Dombey in Brussels


-"Last year, Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state,
dubbed Mr Lukashenko's rule as "the last dictatorship
in Europe" and US and European governments have
encouraged Belarus' opposition parties' decision to
unite around a single candidate."
-[M]any observers believe Mr Lukashenko would win a
fair vote....Last month the government said it would
allow the vote to be witnessed by the Organisation for
Security and Co-operation in Europe, which is expected
to send over 400 observers.


The opposition candidate in the Belarus presidential
election next month has called on Europe and the US to
help him unseat the country's authoritarian
government.

Aliaksandr Milinkevich, candidate for the United
Democratic Forces of Belarus, told the FT he had
little hope of a fair vote on March 19 and was worried
the European Union and Washington could turn their
attention elsewhere once the election had passed.

He was speaking in the wake of an aborted effort by
senior EU and US diplomats to deliver personally a
warning on the consequences of unfair elections to the
administration of President Alexander Lukashenko.

"It's very important for us that the EU and the US
send a signal to the Belarus regime that there's a
need to hold democratic elections and to inform them
as well about the consequences of not doing so," Mr
Milinkevich, a former physics teacher, said. You
cannot divide life into periods before elections and
after elections. We do not have true elections. Last
year, Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, dubbed
Mr Lukashenko's rule as "the last dictatorship in
Europe" and US and European governments have
encouraged Belarus' opposition parties' decision to
unite around a single candidate.

EU foreign ministers recently also warned the
government they were ready to impose sanctions, such
as further visa bans on government officials, "in the
event of failure to uphold international standards in
the electoral process".

This week, two envoys from the US and the EU had
intended to travel to Belarus to highlight their
concerns - but Mr Lukashenko's administration refused
to let both of them enter.

"They seem to be worried about the implications of
European and US solidarity in favour of democracy,"
said Dan Fried, the US diplomat who had planned to go.
"I don't know that he [Mr Lukashenko] would win an
election I don't believe he would put it to the test."

However, many observers believe Mr Lukashenko would
win a fair vote, because of the positive effect of
high gas prices on the economy of Belarus. It profits
from the transit of gas from Russia to central and
western Europe. Last month the government said it
would allow the vote to be witnessed by the
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe,
which is expected to send over 400 observers.
....
The EU is planning to begin a larger service, which
will be 50/50 Russian and Belarusian, before the
elections are held.
....


http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/...d4a86df4e\ (http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/01/4b5e00df-c268-45bb-89dc-92d4a86df4e\)
9.html


Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
January 31, 2006


Belarus: Opposition Leader Canvasses EU Support For
'Revolution Of Hope'
By Ahto Lobjakas



Alyaksandr Milinkevich, the presidential candidate who
is backed by most democratic opposition parties in
Belarus, today urged European Union (EU) officials to
be present in the country for the presidential
election on 19 March. Speaking before the European
Parliament's foreign affairs committee, Milinkevich
predicted a "revolution of hope" will follow the poll,
which he said is skewed in favor of incumbent
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka [Alexander
Lukashenko]. Milinkevich said that if the government
clamped down on any protests, a massive EU presence
could "soften the blow."


BRUSSELS - Alyaksandr Milinkevich today predicted
that, much like in Georgia and Ukraine in recent
years, people in Belarus are ready to take their
desire for democracy to the streets.

And he has little faith that the March presidential
election will be conducted in a free and fair manner.
So much so, Milinkevich told the foreign affairs
committee that he wants all European countries to
clearly state ahead of 19 March that the elections do
not meet international standards.

Milinkevich indicated that the Belarusian opposition
is "in principle" against a revolution. However, he
warned, if Lukashenka's government denies the country
free and fair elections, people will take to the
streets.

"If the government does not [respect] our demands,
then in that case, certainly, there are many people in
our country who will come to the streets...."

EU Threatens Sanctions

Milinkevich's high-profile visit to Brussels was
marked by EU foreign ministers on 30 January with a
statement threatening sanctions against Lukashenka's
regime if international [sic] standards are not
respected.

Today, Milinkevich praised recent EU decisions to fund
independent radio and television broadcasts to
Belarus, but said their reach is limited. He said
abolishing current crippling visa fees levied by EU
countries was far more important than access to
relayed information.

Milinkevich also called for more tangible support from
the union. Above all, he asked EU deputies and other
representatives to come to Belarus to follow the
election and its aftermath.

He said a massive EU presence would show support for
the opposition and counter one of the mainstays of
Lukashenka's propaganda - that "no-one in Europe is
interested in Belarus."

"Honorable deputies, it would be good if you could set
aside some time towards the end of March and travel to
Belarus as international observers," Milinkevich said.
"To us, that would be extremely important. You will be
obstructed, prevented from carrying out observation
work, but [nevertheless] your arrival in our country
for the elections will have a great significance for
democratically oriented Belarusians, especially in the
countryside. They must see that Europe is not turning
away from us."
....
EU Support For Opposition

There was no direct response to Milinkevich's appeal
today. The chairman of the European Parliament's
foreign affairs committee, Elmar Brok, said the
parliament has so far not received an invitation from
Minsk to send observers. Lukashenka's government has,
however, asked the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, to send monitors.

However, Brok said he was hopeful that the parliament
will help the Belarusian opposition to attain a
crucial longer-term objective - funding independent of
the approval of the Lukashenka government.

"[The European Parliament's foreign affairs] committee
is negotiating with the [European] Commission [at] the
moment [about] setting up a [financial] instrument on
human rights which can be used even if there's no
cooperation of the government concerned," Brok said.
"I think that's the main point. Presently the [New]
Neighborhood Policy instruments and action plans have
to be in cooperation with the government concerned.
But we believe the work for the rule of law and human
rights should be also possible by support of the
European Union in countries where such cooperation is
not [forthcoming]."

And what would Milinkevich do if he won the
presidential election? [!]

He said, under his leadership, Belarus would make "no
sudden turns" and try to act as a bridge between
Europe and Russia. He ruled out a union with Russia
saying Belarus values its independence above all.

Whether he has much of a chance is another matter. The
Belarusian opposition leader said he is confident he
would win a fair poll. He said his support in the
capital Minsk is more than 40 percent, higher, he
said, than Lukashenka's.

Outside Minsk, though, Milinkevich will probably fare
less well. Recent independent polls indicate that
country-wide Lukashenka has more than 50 percent
support, whereas Milinkevich has more than 20 percent.

[Alleged 40 in the capital; 20% in the nation-wide and
the 'opposition' stooge 'could win a fair poll'?
Curious arithmetic, to say the least.]


03.02.2006 18:14:44
Fifty-nine international CIS observers get accredited with central
election commission of Belarus


Fifty-nine CIS representatives got accredited with the central
election commission as long-term observers for the presidential
elections in Belarus, leader of the CIS observation mission Asan
Kozhakov has told reporters today in Minsk.

According to him, the observation mission includes representatives
of Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
and also the CIS economic Court.

"CIS observers are set both on the organizational and technical
levels to work during the presidential elections in Belarus", Asan
Kozhakov said.

According to him, during the election campaign and on the voting day
alike observers will work throughout the republic. Representatives
of the CIS diplomatic missions accredited in Minsk will partake in
the observation process.

The CIS observation mission has started to monitor the election
campaign in all oblasts of the republic and in Minsk. Today
observers are busy overseeing the process of formation of
territorial and district election commissions, abidance by the
legislation at registration of initiative groups and collection of
signatures in support of nominees and are getting familiar as to how
the complaints of participants of the election process are managed,
Asan Kozhakov said.

The head of the CIS observation mission has stressed that the
observers will perform the afore-mentioned activities at polling
stations for the Belarus presidential election in the CIS countries,
too.

close

© BELTA, 1996 - 2003

28.01.2006 10:20:34
Alexander Lukashenko gets over 1,9 million signatures as nominee for
presidency


Alexander Lukashenko's initiative group has totaled 1,905,631
signatures in favor of his nomination as candidate for presidency,
chairman of the central election commission of Belarus Lydia
Yermoshina told BelTA.

A reminder, the collection of signatures in favor of nominees for
presidency in Belarus ended January 27. One needs to collect at
least 100 thousand signatures to get registered as candidate for
presidency. At present territorial election commissions are
verifying the authenticity of signature lists. All necessary
documents should be submitted to the central election commission by
February 11. Then the central election commission is to carry out
the registration.

close

© BELTA, 1996 - 2003

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/3-cee.asp


Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
January 25, 2006


MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION BELARUSIANS SIGN IN SUPPORT OF
LUKASHENKA'S PRESIDENTIAL BID...


Viktar Sheyman, the head of the nomination group for
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka [Alexander
Lukashenko], told journalists on 24 January that the
group has collected 1.57 million signatures for
Lukashenka - well in excess of the 100,000 names
required to put potential candidates on the ballot for
the 19 March presidential election, Belarusian
Television reported.

"We have not violated existing legislation under any
circumstances. The signatures have been collected
[exclusively] by members of our nomination group and
only from willing voters," Sheyman said.
....
There were some 7.1 million eligible voters during the
legislative elections and constitutional referendum in
Belarus in October 2004. JM


...AS POLL SAYS MORE THAN 54 PERCENT WANT TO VOTE FOR
HIM


According to a poll conducted by the Gallup/Baltic
Surveys in the first half of this month, 54.6 percent
of Belarusians said they would vote for Lukashenka if
a presidential election was held on 15 January,
Belapan reported on 23 January.

Of those polled, 16.8 percent declared they would vote
for united opposition candidate Alyaksandr
Milinkevich, while 2.9 percent intended to cast
ballots for independent candidate Alyaksandr Kazulin.

Nearly 80 percent of respondents said they had heard
or read about Milinkevich....
JM

[kaaos_af]

Comrades-

We can expect to see the US or EU intervene in this election, on the side of that worm Milinkevich. If the US or EU do intervene, I urge comrades to organise protests.

[travisdandy2000]

Belarus shoud be supported to the fullest. President Lukashenko has done many good things and preserved socialism, while encircled by hostile capitalist competing to kiss NATO's ass. For more info check out the following link.









http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SovietBelarus/

[metalero]

Statement by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko
at the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly
New York
15 September 2005


Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

To have an honest look at today's world is the reason why state leaders have convened here at the United Nations. Together we must gain the understanding of the main thing: do we lead our countries and the mankind along the right path? We should answer this question for ourselves and our nations. Without that we have no chance to get out of the deadlock that we are in.

Fifteen years have passed since the break-up of my country, the USSR. That event dramatically changed the world order. The Soviet Union, despite all mistakes and blunders of its leaders, was the source of hope and support for many states and peoples. The Soviet Union provided for the balance of the global system.

Today the world is unipolar with all the consequences stemming from this.

The once prosperous Yugoslavia was devastated and disappeared from the map of Europe.

The long-suffering Afghanistan became a hotbed of conflicts and drugs trafficking.

A bloody slaughter in Iraq is continuing to the present day. The country has turned into a source of instability for the vast region.

Iran and North Korea are looked at through gun sights.

Belarus is a nation just like the majority represented in this hall. Having emerged from the debris of the Cold War, Belarus became a state of advanced science and technology inhabited by ten million of highly educated and tolerant people. The UN ranked us as a developed country with a high level of human development.

Like you, what we need from the world is peace and stability. Nothing more. The rest we shall create ourselves through our own efforts.

My country is free from conflicts. Different nations and nationalities peacefully coexist in Belarus each practicing religions of their own and having their own way of life.

We do not cause any trouble for our neighbours, neither through territorial claims nor trying to influence their choice of the way of development.

We gave up our nuclear arms and voluntarily relinquished the rights of a nuclear successor to the USSR.

Today we shall sign the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. We also declare that we have decided to sign the Additional Protocol to the Agreement between the Republic of Belarus and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

We have established a lasting and successful union with Russia as our very close neighbour.

We build our country using our own wits and on the basis of our own traditions.

But it is obvious that this very choice of my people is not to everyone's pleasure. It doesn't please those who strive to rule the unipolar world.

Wonder how?

If there are no conflicts – they are invented.

If there are no pretexts for intervention – imaginary ones are created.

To this end a very convenient banner was chosen – democracy and human rights. And not in their original sense of the rule of people and personal dignity, but solely and exclusively in the interpretation of the US leadership.

Has the world really become so black-and-white, deprived of its diversity of civilizations, multicoloured traditions and ways of life meeting aspirations of people?

Of course not! The simple thing is that it is a convenient pretext and an instrument to control other countries.

Regrettably, the United Nations, though it belongs to us all, allows itself to be used as a tool of such policy. I am saying this with particular bitterness and pain as President of the country that co-founded the UN, after sacrificing the lives of one third of its people during the Second World War for the sake of our own freedom and the freedom of Europe and the entire world.

The Human Rights Commission keeps mechanically stamping resolutions on Belarus, Cuba and other countries. Attempts are being made to impose such resolutions also on the UN General Assembly.

But how can the United Nations be minding imaginary "problems" while unable to see true disasters and catastrophes - of the calibre and nature which nobody other than the UN as community of civilized nations can cope with and restore justice and order?

Let us give a glance at the world as it is.

Quite recently, in the room next to ours we were shown maps and graphs allegedly depicting weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Were those weapons found?

They do not exist. In the meantime, Iraq was razed with bombs, devastated, people brought to utmost despair. Terrorists are threatening to use weapons of mass destruction against cities in Europe and America.

Has there been an open and independent trial under UN supervision of the Guantanamo prisoners? How many of them are there and who are they?

Who will defend the rights of the Abu Graib victims and punish all of their torturers without exception?

Afghanistan was ravaged with rockets and bombs under the pretext of finding Bin Laden. Was the world's "number one terrorist" captured? Where is he now?

He is at large, but Afghanistan and Iraq territories began to generate hundreds and thousands of international terrorists.

Foreign troops occupied the independent Afghanistan but the drugs production grew ten-fold. Did those troops enter the country for this purpose?

Today, Belarus, Tajikistan, Russia and other former Soviet states are literally flooded with a wave of "traditional" drugs from Afghanistan meeting a wave of previously unknown synthetic drugs from Europe.

The leaders of the destroyed Yugoslavia and Iraq were put behind bars on groundless, absurd and far-fetched accusations. This was a very opportune way to conceal the truth about annihilation of their countries.

The trial of Milosevic was made into a caricature since long ago. Saddam Hussein was abandoned to the winner's mercy, like in barbarian times. There is nobody to defend their rights except the UN, their states no longer around, destroyed.

They should be released to be able to defend freely their rights, honour and human dignity.

AIDS and other diseases are ravaging Africa and Asia.

Poverty and deprivation have become a real and not a virtual weapon of mass destruction, moreover - racially selective one.

Who will be able to stop this?

Who will insist that the United States of America put an end to its attempts against Cuba and Venezuela? These countries will independently determine their lives.

Trafficking in persons has become a flourishing business. Sexual slavery of women and children are seen as a common thing, almost a norm of life. Who will protect them and bring to justice consumers of "live commodity"?

How can this disgrace to our civilization be done away with?

This, in short, is the distressing account of the transition to the unipolar world.

Was it for that purpose that we established the United Nations?

Is it not high time for the UN to put an end to internal corruption scandals and get down in deed to address anguish and misery of the world? The answer to this question, in our view, is very clear.

Let us be honest to the end. We cannot bury our head in the sand like an ostrich.

In the end, the UN is us.

Therefore, it is up to us to take the destiny of the world in our own hands.

We must realize that the unipolar world is a world with a single track, a one-dimensional world.

We must become aware that the diversity of ways to progress is an enduring value of our civilization, the only one that can ensure stability in this world.

The freedom of choice of the way of development is the main precondition for a democratic world order. This is exactly what this Organization was established for.

I do hope that the mighty of the world will understand this too. Otherwise, the unipolar world will ultimately strike them back. Great American Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt, who stood at the roots of the League of Nations and the United Nations, were conscious of that.

Should we agree between us on this principal point, then we would succeed in implementing the principles of multipolarity, diversity and freedom of choice both in reality and the UN documents that we must abide by. We would protect the world from terrorism and the vulnerable, women and children, from slavery. We would protect all those unprotected.

It is then that the UN would become the organization of the genuinely united nations. This, and not the numerical increase of the Security Council membership, is precisely the core of the UN reform.

I thank you

[Wanted Man]

That's a very good speech indeed. Let's hope Belarus will not become a new Yugoslavia.