Position
regarding the Presidential elections and political situation in Belarus
Presidential Elections in Belarus on 09.08.2020 have been accompanied by massive violations of human rights and can by no means be regarded as free, transparent and democratic. During the whole rally the state government has been deliberately hindering the free expression of will by citizens which included prosecution against alternative candidates and their team members; (cyber)bullying and repressions towards bloggers, journalists, activists and ordinary citizens; massive manipulations and fraud during the voting process.
Citizens have been actively engaging themselves in legal forms of participation in the election process. Despite that they could be involved as members of election committees or as independent observers only in exceptional cases and were not allowed to monitor the election and voting process.
Official data of advance voting turnout have been deliberately overestimated almost thrice, which creates a base for fraud of about 35% of voices. During the main election day the election committees have been systematically and massively violating the norms of election law meaning the right to get access to the results of voting and final voting protocols.
The Central Election Commission of Belarus claims that more than 80% of voices were given for Aleksandr Lukashenko which is not corresponding with true data and which has provoked fair outrage from citizens. On the evening of 9th of August thousands of people went out on the streets of their cities. Those peaceful protests were brutally oppressed by the (riot) police.
This inadequate and violent reaction of the security and police agencies is therefore fully responsible for the escalation of the violence.
We have evidence about thousands of arrested, douzens of injured and few death cases among the protesters. The Ministry of internal affairs of Belarus has officially confirmed the death of one protester in Minsk on 11h of August 2020.
We as participants of the Belarusian national platform EaP CSF are demanding the authorities of Belarus to:
- → immediately stop the escalation of violence on the stress;
- → free arrested protesters and all political prisoners;
- → acknowledge the Presidential elections as such that are not eligible due to massive law violations;
- → start negotiations with the teams of alternative candidates, opposition parties and civil society organisations about new Presidential elections being controlled by Belarusian society.
We are asking international community to:
- → condemn systemic violence from the side of Belarusian government and authorities;
- → use any forms of diplomatic influence on Belarusian government and Alexander Lukashenko personally in order to stop massive repressions, to acknowledge the Presidential elections as not legitimate and to call the new elections.
We are suggesting the teams of alternative candidates to:
- → voice their definitive support of peaceful protesters on Belarusian streets, who are struggling for peaceful changes and new elections;
- → inform the protesters about your vision of further steps and actions (they are waiting for it and hoping on you);
- → acknowledge that the elections are totally fabricated and none of its results could be regarded as legitimate;
- → suggest the current regime a clear roadmap for overcoming the current crisis via negotiations with you, representatives of protesters, oppositional parties and civil society organisations. Those negotiations have to be centered around the topic of new elections;
- → present such a negotiation group to the broad public.
