Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-10-27-Speech-3-114"
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"en.20041027.8.3-114"2
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".
Mr President, six weeks ago, this Parliament urged the authorities in Belarus to call free and fair parliamentary elections on 7 October 2004 and to abandon a referendum to change the constitution. This constitutional change would, in theory, make it possible for the current President, Mr Lukashenko, to remain in power for life. At the time, I called this an impending constitutional
. Unfortunately, we have to conclude – and that is not the first time – that our appeal has been in vain. No attempt has been made by the authorities to repair the damage of previous violations of the rights of opposition candidates. Media coverage has been neither fair nor balanced, and the OSCE came to the conclusion that the parliamentary elections failed to meet international standards. This also applied to the campaign preceding the referendum. The outcome, a turnout of around 90%, 75% of whom voted in favour of the constitutional change, is shrouded in suspicion. The parliament is paralysed, not one single opposition candidate having been elected to it. Since the elections, small, but persistent, peaceful protests take place in Minsk almost every day, but absolutely all of them are violently quashed. This situation calls for a response. It should be made quite clear that, in the present situation, there is no room for reinforcing relations with the regime in Belarus. It should be absolutely clear to Mr Lukashenko that rapprochement is out of the question as long as the regime does not commit to making efforts with a view to bringing about democratic reforms. In those circumstances, Lukashenko will remain internationally isolated, but the force of this lever is limited. We must also try to help bring about changes for the better in Belarus by supporting the democratic opposition forces in that country. Last week, the American Congress adopted a Belarus Democracy Act, which takes measures to which Europe should also give consideration.
Finally, I have chaired the observation delegation during parliamentary and presidential elections in Belarus for several times now, and my frustration about the lack of change, despite all efforts on our part, is still very great. Policy proposed by the Council and Commission receives our unqualified support, but in my view, the key to change lies with Belarus’ other neighbour, not the EU, but Russia. I should like to urge the Council once again to take a firmer stand in talks with Moscow, for my experience has been only that, as soon as we declare the elections unlawful, a telegram would arrive from President Putin that very same day to congratulate Mr Lukashenko, for the umpteenth time, on successful elections."@en1
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