Lithuanian Seimas Considers Belarusian Elections and Referendum Illegitimate

29.10.2004.

The Lithuanian parliament after additional discussion and changes has passed resolution “On parliamentary elections and referendum in Belarus”. It is noted in the resolution that “The Belarusian authorities had ignored the appeal of the OSCE, Council of Europe and the European Union to normalize relations with opposition, to provide real independence of the media and access of all political groups to it, to change laws regulating the elections, to make them comply with democratic standards”.

In the resolution of the Lithuanian Seimas the OSCE and Council of Europe’s findings on Belarusian elections are emphasized, and the conclusion is made: “Extension of the presidential term to unlimited time is considered as an obvious violation of European democratic tradition. The Seimas of the Lithuanian Republic has serious reasons to distrust that the parliamentary elections held on October 17, 2004 were free and fair, and that is why cannot be recognized as legal. The opinion of the Parliament of the Lithuanian Republic as for the deputies of the Belarusian republic would depend on the principal activities of these deputies in the sphere of democracy and human rights promotion in Belarus”.

The amendment on illegitimacy of Belarusian elections to the Seimas resolution was added on proposal of Rasa Jukneviciene, member of the Conservative Party, informs Radio Svaboda.