Declaration by the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on the parliamentary elections in Belarus
- On: 30.09.2008
The preliminary report by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on the conduct of the parliamentary elections in Belarus on Sunday 28 September concludes that these elections fell short of the OSCE’s democratic commitments, in spite of a measure of progress in relation to previous elections.
The Presidency of the Council is concerned by these conclusions and urges the Belarusian authorities to continue their efforts in order to comply with international democratic commitments and in this respect to cooperate fully with the ODIHR.
The Presidency has also noted the positive developments prior to the elections, particularly with regard to the release of the last political prisoners and the invitation to the OSCE to observe the parliamentary elections on 28 September.
It reaffirms the objective pursued by the European Union to reinforce democracy in Belarus.
- Updated: 23.12.2008
