EU: Belarus Missed Opportunity To Hold Elections According To International Standards

Brussels has commented on Lukashenka's "elections".

The European Union believes that the last "parliamentary elections" in Belarus were not held in full compliance with international standards.

This is stated in the statement of the Speaker of the European External Action Service.

"Yesterday's "parliamentary elections" in the Republic of Belarus were held in a peaceful atmosphere. Nevertheless, an opportunity to hold elections in full compliance with international standards was lost," - the statement reads.

It is noted that the preliminary assessment of the OSCE/ODIHR International Election Observation Mission states that the basic freedoms of assembly and expression were generally ignored during the "elections".

In addition, OSCE/ODIHR noted that a limited number of campaigns were conducted in a restrictive environment that generally did not provide for meaningful or competitive political competition.

"A number of key OSCE/ODIHR and Council of Europe Venice Commission recommendations remain unanswered. In view of the 2020 presidential election, it is crucial that the Belarusian authorities immediately resume work on comprehensive electoral reform. This will also be key to achieving the full potential of the relationship between the EU and Belarus, based on the positive co-operation of the last three years," - Brussels noted.