06.11.2012
OSCE forces nonexistent standards upon Belarus, other countries
MINSK, 6 November (BelTA) – The OSCE tries to force nonexistent standards upon Belarus and other countries, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko told media on 6 November.
“These standards don’t exist. Together with Russia and other countries, including Kazakhstan and Ukraine, we have insisted on working out these standards and unifying them,” said the President. “But these standards don’t exist. These standards are interpreted any way anyone wants,” stressed the Belarusian leader.
According to Alexander Lukashenko, CIS observers primarily base their judgment on criteria, “which are closest to all of us”. “This way we evaluate elections here, within the CIS framework and these evaluations are contrary to the OSCE evaluations because the OSCE tries to force its own standards upon us. Not even its own standards but nonexistent standards, which are completely politically biased,” remarked the head of state.
As a proof of these double standards Alexander Lukashenko referred to the USA that positions itself as a stronghold of democracy: “So international observers arrive and get told that if they cross the threshold, they will be arrested. What if we acted like that? We invite them and Americans act as observers in Belarus. We don’t arrest them,” said the President. “But even today they want to be able to count votes. It is a manifestation of double and triple standards. We cannot allow it”.
“I haven’t noticed any concern here about elections in the USA. I don’t show any concern nor does our government. The Minsk mayor, the Central Election Commission, the oblast governors don’t and even reporters don’t,” said the President. “They can hold elections any way they want. The entire world laughs at these elections. First, these are indirect elections, second, a man with fewer votes can become the president. What kind of elections are those? But they like it this way, it is the tradition, the people are silent while the leaders are pleased. Well, may god be with you”.
“Don’t stress yourselves over it. Whatever we do here, if we pursue a policy in the interests of our nation in order to preserve independence and self-determination, in order to decide where to go, it will not be advantageous for them. And they will challenge us and bomb until their people rise to power in this country,” the Belarusian leader is convinced.
“We should build our own life and repel those who infringe it,” stressed Alexander Lukashenko.
“These standards don’t exist. Together with Russia and other countries, including Kazakhstan and Ukraine, we have insisted on working out these standards and unifying them,” said the President. “But these standards don’t exist. These standards are interpreted any way anyone wants,” stressed the Belarusian leader.
According to Alexander Lukashenko, CIS observers primarily base their judgment on criteria, “which are closest to all of us”. “This way we evaluate elections here, within the CIS framework and these evaluations are contrary to the OSCE evaluations because the OSCE tries to force its own standards upon us. Not even its own standards but nonexistent standards, which are completely politically biased,” remarked the head of state.
As a proof of these double standards Alexander Lukashenko referred to the USA that positions itself as a stronghold of democracy: “So international observers arrive and get told that if they cross the threshold, they will be arrested. What if we acted like that? We invite them and Americans act as observers in Belarus. We don’t arrest them,” said the President. “But even today they want to be able to count votes. It is a manifestation of double and triple standards. We cannot allow it”.
“I haven’t noticed any concern here about elections in the USA. I don’t show any concern nor does our government. The Minsk mayor, the Central Election Commission, the oblast governors don’t and even reporters don’t,” said the President. “They can hold elections any way they want. The entire world laughs at these elections. First, these are indirect elections, second, a man with fewer votes can become the president. What kind of elections are those? But they like it this way, it is the tradition, the people are silent while the leaders are pleased. Well, may god be with you”.
“Don’t stress yourselves over it. Whatever we do here, if we pursue a policy in the interests of our nation in order to preserve independence and self-determination, in order to decide where to go, it will not be advantageous for them. And they will challenge us and bomb until their people rise to power in this country,” the Belarusian leader is convinced.
“We should build our own life and repel those who infringe it,” stressed Alexander Lukashenko.