The CIS observers' mission considers the presidential election in Belarus of December 19 as transparent and democratic. This was announced by the head of the CIS Executive Committee Sergei Lebedev on Monday, December 20. "We have seen that the elections were transparent and democratic, we met with representatives of the OSCE yesterday and they had the same opinion," Lebedev said.
«We recognize the elections as legitimate. No doubt,» he stressed. Lebedev also said that Minsk riots and the detention of a large number of opposition figures had no relation to the assessment of the election campaign, Korrespondent.net reports.
After meeting with Lebedev, the head of the OSCE Mission Gert Arens said that the presidential elections, held in Belarus on 19 December, could become «a big step forward.» «If we do not have questions on the vote counting, this election will be considered as a great step forward,» REGNUM quoted Gert Arens.
Let’s recall, according to preliminary data, the incumbent president Alexander Lukashenko won the elections by getting 79.67% of votes after counting of 100% of ballots.
At the same time, the opposition candidate Vladimir Niakliaeu and Andrei Sannikov demanded that the Central Election Commission to cancel the results of early voting.
As reported, after the voting the opposition held an unsanctioned rally at Kastrychnitskaya Square in central Minsk, and then went to the Government House.
Demonstrators attempted to capture the Government House, but action was suppressed by the internal troops and Special Forces.
According to the media, three opposition candidates — Rygor Kastusiou, Andrei Sannikov and Nikolai Statkevich, were detained in Minsk. Besides, the presidential candidate Vladimir Niakliaeu received an internal brain injury in the result of clashes with the police.
Earlier, the Interior Ministry denied reports of some media that some people had been killed in the clashes of police and opposition supporters.
