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Posted by Mark Resnicoff Aug 24, 2008 |
Questions have arisen regarding Belarus’ ability to hold a fair election in the upcoming October 2008 parliamentary vote. Opposition leaders have already claimed they are victims of pressure and unfair campaign practices.
These questions are nothing new to Belorussian politics. Three weeks before the country’s 2006 Presidential election, opposition candidate Alexandr Kazulin was arrested and beaten badly by police before being released. This incident occurred when Kazulin attempted to enter the All Belorussian People’s Assembly. He was charged with disorderly conduct and released after being held in custody for eight hours.
Charges of unfair practices do not end there. Prior to Belarus’ 2000 Parliamentary election, reports surfaced of opposition leaders being arrested and prosecuted on charges regarding their political activities. The Council of Europe received reports of human rights violations, persecution and harassment of potential opposition candidates.
In July, President Alexander Lukashenko indicated the upcoming election will show the world that Belarus’ political system is open and democratic. The government may not try to directly influence individual votes, but if opposition candidates are being treated unfairly and drop out of the election, it is still not a fair election. Lukashenko has accomplished many positive things for Belarus during his 14 years as President - it would be shameful to detract from those accomplishments by continuing to influence elections for personal gain.
References
Crawley, Vince. “Free, Fair Election Increasingly Unlikely in Belarus, U.S. Says.” The Washington File. March 3, 2006.
Tyler, Patrick. “Belarus Is Warned to Conduct a Fair Election.” The New York TImes. August 6, 2000.