Representatives of the European Union Council studied the situation in Belarus prior the Parliamenta

On 6-7 July a delegation of the Council of the European Union headed by the Head of the Political Department of the General Secretariat, Helga Schmidt, paid an official visit to Minsk in order to study the situation in Belarus prior to the Parliamentary elections, scheduled for 28 September 2008.

The Leader of the United Civic Party, Mr. Anatoly Lebedko, informed BelaPAN that prior to the meetings at the Presidential Administration and Central Election Committee, the representatives of the Council of the EU met with representatives of the Political Council of the United Democratic Forces (UDF).

“Mrs. Schmidt was curious about the position we stand on at the beginning of the election campaign and were interested in the European Union strategy regarding the existing situation”, said Mr. A. Lebedko.

The politician said that the representatives of the UDF showed their disagreement regarding the possible tendency of ‘commercialization’ of the relations between Brussels and Minsk, i.e. when liberalization of the Belarusian economy could make Brussels find it acceptable to “close its eyes with regard to the human rights violations”. The UDF representatives were also convinced that a situation when “Belarusian authorities appoint 110 Deputies and three to five of them are in the opposition” would not be favourable for legitimization of the Belarusian regime.

The UDF also came forward with four conditions, fulfilling which would allow their participation in the upcoming elections in full capacity: inclusion into the nomination lists all candidates from the opposition; representation of the representatives of the opposition in the election commissions at all levels; lack of repressions regarding activists and the Media; creating favourable conditions for communication with voters.

“Helga Schmidt stressed that our list of conditions was not an exhaustive list of conditions for democratic elections in compliance with the standards set up by the OSCE and she agreed with the significant importance of these conditions”, said the Leader of UCP.

A. Lebedko said that the representatives of the EU Council “have no illusions regarding the situation in Belarus prior to the elections and that they have skeptically assessed the beginning of the election campaign”. “However Europe would like to give the Belarusian authorities the last chance: the administration still has an opportunity to show its political will and to hold fair elections within the existing legislative framework”, said politician.

A. Lebedko also stressed that the UDF reserved a right to take down all their candidates before the elections and to hold a mobilizing campaign and to communicate with voters.

A politician also said that the Delegation of the Bundestag Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid also met with the representatives of the UDF today regarding these issues.