08.06.2012
Lukashenko: Parliamentary election should be open, free and competitive
MINSK, 8 June (BelTA) – The forthcoming parliamentary election in Belarus should be open, free and competitive, President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said on 8 June as he met with Chairperson of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus Lidia Yermoshina, BelTA learnt from the press service of the Belarusian head of state.
Alexander Lukashenko reminded that he had already voiced his stance on the forthcoming election in his State of the Nation Address. He emphasized that the election should be open, free and competitive. “I still believe that we should not change anything just to make someone else happy. You saw by the example of the previous similar events that our efforts were not appreciated. And we do not need this “appreciation”. We need to rely on our own laws and the constitution. We conduct parliamentary elections and other elections for ourselves, our state, so the people should choose MPs in an open and competitive election,” the President said.
According to Lidia Yermoshina, the electoral law will not be amended in the run-up to the parliamentary election, because Belarus has no time for that and because it runs contrary to the OSCE recommendations – the OSCE does not recommend to reform electoral laws during a year before an election campaign. “In January 2010 amendments were introduced to the electoral laws to make elections more democratic. The whole procedure was conducted in line with the OSCE recommendations,” the CEC Chairperson said.
Alexander Lukashenko reminded that he had already voiced his stance on the forthcoming election in his State of the Nation Address. He emphasized that the election should be open, free and competitive. “I still believe that we should not change anything just to make someone else happy. You saw by the example of the previous similar events that our efforts were not appreciated. And we do not need this “appreciation”. We need to rely on our own laws and the constitution. We conduct parliamentary elections and other elections for ourselves, our state, so the people should choose MPs in an open and competitive election,” the President said.
According to Lidia Yermoshina, the electoral law will not be amended in the run-up to the parliamentary election, because Belarus has no time for that and because it runs contrary to the OSCE recommendations – the OSCE does not recommend to reform electoral laws during a year before an election campaign. “In January 2010 amendments were introduced to the electoral laws to make elections more democratic. The whole procedure was conducted in line with the OSCE recommendations,” the CEC Chairperson said.