| Press Statement Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman Washington, DC September 10, 2001 Belarus: Election Declared UndemocraticAccording to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) international election observation mission, the 2001 presidential election process in Belarus that culminated in the September 9 ballot has been marked by fundamental flaws and consistent interference by Belarusian authorities. Today, the international observer mission concluded that the election process "failed to meet OSCE commitments for democratic elections." Regrettably, no part of the electoral process has been transparent or fair. Mr. Lukashenko has merely used the façade of elections to engineer a meaningless victory for himself. The United States concurs with OSCE’s findings that the electoral process was not democratic. Elections that are neither free nor fair cannot be internationally recognized. Belarusian authorities have demonstrated a clear disregard for both democracy and human rights during this election by avoiding transparency in all stages and engaging in a campaign of intimidation. They delayed or hindered participation of international and domestic observers, harassed opposition members and independent journalists, confiscated independent electoral materials and newspapers, and prevented a standard parallel vote tabulation, placing the official vote count into serious question. The isolation of Belarus is a result of the policies of the Lukashenko regime. We regret that Belarus authorities failed to take the fundamental step, via free and fair elections, to move away from international isolation and toward integration in Europe and the international community. The United States will consult with our European partners and will pursue measures designed to promote civil society and restore democracy to Belarus. President Bush has a vision of Europe, whole, free, and at peace. Belarus and its people can and should be a part of this Europe, and the United States encourages Belarusians in their efforts to return to the path of democracy and a free market economy. |
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