Presidential Elections in Belarus

That the Parliament expresses deep concern at the outcome of the recent presidential election in Belarus and the manner in which it was conducted; notes reports that over 10,000 demonstrators took to the streets in Minsk and that several hundred were detained for protesting against Alexander Lukashenko’s re-election; further notes that the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe called the election “flawed” as it “fell short of democratic standards” while the United States of America described the result as “illegitimate” and condemned the reported crackdown on protestors; expresses further concern that at least seven of nine presidential candidates were among those arrested, some of whom were reported to have been beaten and injured; considers that the political situation in Belarus has not improved in recent years and that Belarus remains an authoritarian state with no respect for human rights, and strongly encourages the European Union to urgently review its foreign policy on Belarus, to reconsider imposing stronger sanctions on the country and to re-establish its travel ban on all top Belarusian officials that was suspended in 2008 until Belarus can organise fair and democratic elections and respect the human rights of its people.