18 October 2004
U.S. Deeply Regrets "Seriously Flawed" Elections in Belarus
Belarusian voters were not given a fair chance to express their choice
The October 17 parliamentary elections in Belarus were "deeply flawed," said State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher in response to a question during the Daily Press Briefing October 18.
"We deeply regret that the Belarusian people were kept from freely and fairly expressing their will," Boucher said, noting that a team of international observers sent by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has found that the elections feel significantly short of Belarus' OSCE commitments.
Asked what consequences the election might have on U.S. policy, Boucher responded, "We'll have to look and see. ... Our relations with Belarus are already pretty strained over the issue of democracy. And this, unfortunately, rather than making them better just continues in the same pattern."
Following are excerpts from the daily press briefing
(begin excerpt)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
Briefer: Richard Boucher, Spokesman
Monday, October 18, 2004
(On the record unless otherwise noted)
12:53 p.m. EDT
QUESTION: What do you have on the Belarus elections?
MR. BOUCHER: As you all know, we've repeatedly called on Belarus to meet international standards, to meet OSCE standards when it came to these -- to this referendum and parliamentary elections. The initial report from the OSCE's Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights elections observer mission indicates the election fell significantly short of Belarus' commitments to the organization.
We deeply regret that the Belarusian people were kept from freely and fairly expressing their will. International observers have noted a number of serious violations by the government in the campaign period, potentially biasing the election even before the votes were cast. Electoral misconduct continued throughout the voting and vote tabulation process. We're aware, for example, that exit poll results present a far different picture of the voters' preferences than the results that have been announced by the Belarus Government.
We're also concerned by reports that a journalist was arrested and seriously beaten on election night, and we call on Belarus Government to promptly ensure the full facts of this alleged incident come out.
QUESTION: That's it?
MR. BOUCHER: That's it.
QUESTION: So you think it was a well-run election then. Can I --
MR. BOUCHER: Not exactly.
QUESTION: Isn't the fact that they allowed observers in a positive sign?
MR. BOUCHER: Isn't it what?
QUESTION: A positive -- some kind of a -- I mean, you wouldn't have these -- there are countries in the world that don't allow observers in.
MR. BOUCHER: There were something like 300 observers there. But allowing observers in doesn't make up for all the problems of the election. Is it better to have observers than not to have observers? Sure. But observing this --
QUESTION: I guess what I'm getting at is that you're unwilling to give Lukashenko's government any scintilla of credit for even allowing observers in, which you, normally is something that you first call for in an election.
MR. BOUCHER: We're glad that they allowed the observers in. Nonetheless, the election was seriously flawed. It didn't meet standards. It does not look like the voters of Belarus were given a fair choice.
QUESTION: And if --
MR. BOUCHER: Or a fair chance to express their choice may be a better way to put it.
QUESTION: And are there any consequences for that from your end?
MR. BOUCHER: We'll have to look and see. As you know, our policies -- our relations with Belarus are already pretty strained over the issue of democracy. And this, unfortunately, rather than making them better just continues in the same pattern.
[...]
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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