Thank you, Madame Chairperson. We listened with great interest to Ambassador Stoudmann's statement, and salute him for its clarity, specificity, and comprehensiveness. The United States supports the position just expressed by the European Union, and strongly believes that the elections held in Belarus on October 15 were not free, fair, or transparent.
True elections require more than people casting ballots on election day.
They require unfettered campaigns with a free exchange of political views. They require transparent and credible tabulations of results. And they require an atmosphere of confidence and trust where candidates can express themselves openly - as opposed to the existing climate of pervasive fear, where political opponents disappear at night never to be seen again.