ECPM strongly condemns the way in which the parliamentary elections in Belarus were conducted and supports the Belarussian citizens that have chosen to make their voices heard in the squares of Minsk. ECPM calls on European governments and EU institutions to reconsider their strategies towards the Lukashenka regime.

The parliamentary elections were manipulated in several ways by the current government of Belarus. Only a few oppositionists and none of the opposition leaders were admitted as candidates for the parliament. In many districts there were single candidates without any alternative.
A new phenomenon was introduced, the so called 'early voting', many employees and students were obligated by their employers and teachers to vote in this 'early voting.' By casting a vote early, there was a lot of time for the ruling regime to alter the outcome to their liking.

The opposition candidates also had very little or no opportunity to get across their political programme to the voters by means of mass media.

Surely the OSCE mission and other observers will not recognize these elections as free and fair as there have been obvious violations of international standards. We have to conclude that the EU has to rethink its strategy towards the Lukashenka government concerning the promotion of democracy.

ECPM expresses its support to its member party the BCD and all the other democratic forces in Belarus. Furthermore the ECPM sympathises with all the people that have been, and still are, demonstrating in the squares and streets of Minsk.

ECPM calls on all its member organisations and affiliates to call on their respective governments to condemn this electoral farce in Belarus and to work in concert as Europeans to find ways to cooperate with the people of Belarus without legitimising the Lukashenka regime.