Speaker of parliament fearing of fair election

• 29.01.2008, 16:25

After announcement of the supposed term of parliamentary election in Belarus (September – October this year), the authorities representatives began to make statements, demonstrating their fear of fair open voting.

Vadzim Papou, speaker of the lower house of the “parliament”, blamed the opposition of provocations and promised not to allow it to win the election.

“Of course, too much attention to our election in expected from external forces, which have negative attitude towards our country,” Papou said in the interview to Interfax. He expects there will be provocation during the election, but it won’t take effect.

Concerning the relations between Belarus and the EU, the speaker said the 12 EU proposals on democratisation of the country.... hinder establishing of bilateral relations.

Viktar Ivashkevich, deputy head of the Belarusian Popular Front party, one of the initiator of the European Belarus campaign, said recently the opposition insisted on holding democratic election.

“Only when it is possible to win the vote, one has a reason to participate. And in conditions of Belarus the only possible way to win is when the regime would fulfil the 12 conditions of the EU. That is why the European Belarus campaign is a preparation to the elections in terms of demanding sensible conditions for free elections and release of all political prisoners,” he said.

“If the authorities don’t settle for democratisation of the country, if they prepare an election farce instead of real election, then our poll, which will be organised in different forms: rallies, votes collecting, press publications, will be an alternative to the electoral farce,” Viktar Ivashkevich stressed.