B4-0239 and 0289/99

Resolution on the situation in Belarus

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Belarus,

A. whereas Belarus' democratic structures, introduced in 1994, were abolished in 1996 by President Alyaksandr Lukashenko, following a controversial referendum which many Western countries at the time dismissed as illegitimate,

B. whereas President Lukashenko subsequently changed the constitution, dissolved the legitimate parliament and prolonged until 2001 his presidential term, due to expire on 20 July 1999 according to the 1994 constitution,

C. whereas the new constitution has been recognised neither by the Belarusian opposition nor by Western countries and international organisations,

D. noting that Belarusian opposition leaders have scheduled presidential elections in Belarus for 16 May 1999, an initiative which has made the authorities detain and put on trial 17 members of the opposition Central Electoral Commission and warn Belarusian newspapers not to publish materials concerning the opposition's election schedule,

E. regretting that the human rights situation in general has steadily deteriorated in Belarus under the rule of President Lukashenko, placing the country among the world's major violators of human rights,

F. noting the OSCE's efforts to promote the re-establishment of democratic structures in the country as well as its recent offer to mediate in the current dispute between the President and the opposition,

G. noting that opposition politicians are barred access to the state-controlled print and broadcast media, thus preventing open public debate and precluding the holding of genuinely free and fair elections, and that all democratic parties have therefore called for a boycott of the municipal elections scheduled by the authorities for May 1999,

H. whereas journalists are repeatedly harassed by the authorities and whereas there is no democratic media law and no freedom of press,

I. recalling the constant arrest, detention and fining of the organisers and participants of peaceful public demonstrations,

1. Calls on President Lukashenko and the Belarus Government to re-establish democracy and to ensure respect for human rights in Belarus, in particular the freedom of the media;

2. Calls consequently for free and fair presidential elections to be held before the expiry of President Lukashenko's term and requests that these elections are held according to OSCE standards and monitored by the EU and the OSCE;

3. Urges President Lukashenko to stop the criminalisation and harassment of opposition forces preparing the legally foreseen presidential election campaign;

4. Calls on President Lukashenko and the Government of Belarus to guarantee all opposition politicians immediate and unfettered access to the state print and broadcast media;

5. Notes that the democratic opposition is boycotting the municipal elections, which would render them null and void;

6. Gives its full support to the OSCE attempt to urge dialogue between the president and the opposition to avoid deeper divisions;

7. Calls on President Lukashenko and the Government of Belarus to guarantee Belarusian citizens the right to peaceful public protest and to desist from further arbitrary arrests of demonstration organisers and participants;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the OSCE and the President, the Government and the Parliament of Belarus.

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