Free Elections are Impossible in Belarus, Pourgourides

08.10.2010 15:59
Архив Редакция

One of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe speakers, the author of the report "Disappeared people of Belarus" Christos Pourgourides believes that there's no ability to conduct free and fair elections in Belarus today. "Based on the information, coming to Europe, there won't be real election but its parody," Christos Pourgourides said.

«I am watching the situation of human rights and democracy in your country very closely. I still wonder how you deal with democracy, the rule of law or the implementation of the law, and the abolition of death penalty. I can say that there has been no progress yet. The situation even seems to be deteriorating,» the Special Rapporteur of PACE said, «Narodnaya Volya«.

Pourgourides says that for his part he’s doing his best to investigate cases of disappeared people in Belarus. «We try to take every opportunity — with the help of the UN or the governments of the European Union — to seek further investigation of what has happened with the people abducted in Belarus. But so far Mr. Lukashenko is in power, it’s unlikely to have the opportunity to investigate these cases,» PACE representative said.

Lukashenko Won’t Do Without Russia, Pourgourides
 
«I am deeply convinced that Lukashenko can not long remain in power as one of the last dictator, still surviving in Europe. And the fact that he still runs the country, in my opinion, is only due to Russian support,» PACE rapporteur said.

«There are clear signals, indicating that the Russian president is simply tired of Lukashenko. And if the Russian government stops supporting Lukashenko, he won’t be in power even a few weeks,» Christos Pourgourides added.

«If the Russian president could have a complete independence in actions, he would have long ago adopted a decision on Belarusian democracy. But in Russia there are other strong personalities (you probably know whom I mean), which, unfortunately, still support Lukashenko. That’s why he remains in power,» PACE representative said.

Pourgourides is sure that Alexander Lukashenko will «eventually suffer the same fate as of many dictators.» «All other dictators were either imprisoned, or lynched by the people, or they had to go abroad — into exile. I don’t suggest hanging Lukashenko, as we used to do with some other dictators, just because I am against the death penalty,» the Assembly speaker concluded.

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