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The campaign for the election of the President of the Republic of Belarus, the voting on August 9, 2020, and the counting of votes do not meet international electoral standards. They were conducted with mass violations of the rights and freedoms of citizens and do not reflect the free will of the Belarusian people, pointed out Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Head of the Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on behalf of the delegation and other member states of the Baltic+ Group.
On Friday, 14 August, the Latvian delegation to PACE published a declaration supporting the right of the Belarusian people to freely express their will in elections, as well as to obtain transparent and fair vote counting results. The delegation condemns the use of violence against participants of peaceful assemblies in Minsk and other Belarusian cities. The relevant Belarusian institutions are urged to immediately release all illegally detained persons. The declaration also calls on all parties to the electoral process to engage in a peaceful dialogue.
Furthermore, the delegation urges to conduct independent investigation of allegations of excessive use of force by law enforcement bodies towards participants of peaceful assemblies, and expresses readiness to facilitate the dialogue between the parties of the electoral process.
In conclusion of the declaration, members of the delegation warn the Russian Federation against interfering in the internal affairs of Belarus.
Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe is the oldest political organisation in Europe, which currently brings together 47 European countries. The aims of the Council are to protect human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law, to harmonise social and legal standards of its member states, as well as to promote understanding of European identity and values by embracing cultural diversity of European nations. Latvia became a member state of the Council of Europe in 1995.
Belarus was granted special guest status in PACE in 1993, which was suspended in 1996 following a national referendum aimed at further increasing presidential authority condemned by PACE as undemocratic.
The Baltic+ Group aims to remind PACE and its members about the organisation's fundamental principles, to fortify a non-recognition policy towards the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, as well as to express persistent condemnation of Russian military occupation of Eastern Ukraine, and parts of Georgia and Moldova.
Saeima Press Service