European Parliament resolution on the political situation in Belarus after the parliamentary elections and referendum of 17 October 2004
Date: 2004-10-28
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Belarus, EU relations, common foreign and security policy, electoral fraud, parliamentary election, political violence, referendum

14.7.2005

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Thursday 28 October 2004

1.13 Enhancing civil society contacts and two-way academic exchanges, and strengthening cultural relations,
specifically through the establishment of an EU-India Centre for Indian Studies; giving serious thought
to the possibility of holding regular cultural weeks to coincide with future India-EU Summits;

1.14 Devising a strategy to improve the visibility of the EU in India and vice versa;

1.15 Supporting the European Parliament's endeavour to enhance contacts and discussions with the Indian
Parliament, including institutionalisation of regular meetings between the Lok Sabha and European
Parliament delegations;

Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council and, for information, to the

2.
Commission and to the Government and Parliament of India.

P6_TA(2004)0045

Result of the referendum and elections in Belarus

European Parliament resolution on the political situation in Belarus after the parliamentary elec-
tions and referendum of 17 October 2004

The European Parliament,

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

in particular its resolution of

16 September 2004 (1),

— having regard to the opinion on the referendum of 17 October 2004 in Belarus adopted by the 60th

Plenary Session of the Venice Commission on 8 and 9 October 2004,

— having regard, in particular, to its resolution of 24 October 1996 on the situation in Belarus (2), in
which it decided that no further steps would be taken towards ratification of the Partnership and
Cooperation Agreement with that country until clear signals had been given by the Belarussian auth-
orities of their intention fully to respect basic democratic and human rights,

— having regard, in particular, to its resolution of 5 July 2001 on Belarus (3), adopted prior to the 2001
presidential elections, and to the reports of the Parliamentary Troika (Organization for Security and Co-
operation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and
European Parliament) published after the 2000 general election (30 January 2001) and the 2001 presi-
dential election (4 October 2001),

— having regard, in particular, to its resolution of 11 February 2003 on relations between the European

Union and Belarus: towards a future partnership (4),

— having regard to the parliamentary elections and the constitutional referendum which took place in

Belarus on 17 October 2004,

— having regard to the statement of preliminary findings and conclusions by the International Election

Observation Mission for the parliamentary elections in Belarus,

— having regard to the declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the parliament-

ary elections and the referendum of 17 October 2004 in Belarus,

— having regard to the declaration by the Head of the OSCE Office in Minsk on the attacks on opposition

politicians in Minsk, which took place on 19 October 2004,

— having regard to the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004, which was signed by the President of the USA on

20 October 2004,

— having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

(1) Texts adopted, P6_TA(2004)0011.
(2) OJ C 347, 18.11.1996, p. 168.
(3) OJ C 65 E, 14.3.2002, p. 373.
(4) OJ C 43 E, 19.2.2004, p. 60.

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A. whereas the International Election Observation Mission for the parliamentary elections in Belarus has
come to the conclusion that the Belarussian authorities failed to ensure the fundamental conditions
necessary for the will of the people to serve as a basis for the authority of the government and that
democratic principles were largely disregarded by the authorities,

B. whereas the elections were marred by active exclusion and de-registering of opposition candidates,
aggressive repressive actions against opposition candidates, their families and campaign workers, deten-
tion of campaign workers and seizure of opposition campaign material, strongly biased media attention,
pressure on certain groups of voters and a lack of transparency at the majority of the polling stations,

C. whereas representatives of the opposition were excluded from the electoral committees, and local and
international observers were often prevented from fully observing the voting process and were in some
cases refused access to the polling stations,

D. whereas by simultaneously holding a constitutional referendum President Lukashenko clearly aimed to

overshadow the parliamentary elections,

E. whereas the question asked in the constitutional referendum in Belarus was improperly formulated,
violating Articles 22, 83 and 113 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, as well as Article 112
of the Electoral Law of the Republic of Belarus,

F. whereas the lack of a limit on the term of office of the President of Belarus breaks the democratic

principle of a balance of power,

G. whereas during the days following the elections peaceful demonstrations by the opposition were viol-
ently halted by the Belarussian riot police and whereas the leader of the United Civic Party, Anatoly
Lebedko, was hospitalised after having been beaten up in a public restaurant,

H. whereas the leader of the Belarussian Social Democratic Party, Mikalai Statkevich, and the Malady Front
leader, Pavel Severinets, were arrested, together with about 40 other persons, after these demonstrations
and detained; whereas several journalists were prevented from reporting news of the demonstration and
arrested but released after identification,

I. whereas the young journalist Vieronika Cherkasova, working for the trade union newspaper ‘Salid-

arnasc’, was found murdered in her flat in unclear circumstances,

J. whereas these elections and the climate of fear and abuse in which they were conducted have rendered
yet more remote the likelihood that Belarus can integrate into Europe's democratic structures and
institutions,

K.

regretting that the Russian Government recognised the outcome of the elections without reservation,

Stresses that the parliamentary elections and referendum of 17 October 2004 failed to meet inter-

1.
national standards for democratic elections and therefore cannot be considered free and fair;

Believes that the parliament elected in Belarus does not possess a true democratic mandate to repre-

2.
sent the Belarussian people;

3.

Does not recognise the legitimacy of the referendum;

Does not believe that President Aleksander Lukashenko has a constitutional basis on which to stand as

4.
a candidate in the elections of 2006;

5.
Strongly condemns the violent attacks committed by the Belarussian regime against students, leading
opposition figures and journalists following peaceful political demonstrations in Minsk; urges the Belarus-
sian authorities to immediately release all those who were detained after these demonstrations;

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Thursday 28 October 2004

6.
Expresses its condolences to the family of Vieronika Cherkasova, paying tribute to an important per-
sonality who encouraged freedom of information; urges the Belarussian authorities to investigate this crime
seriously and prosecute the murderer and the instigators of this act;

Is of the opinion that the way in which these elections and the referendum were conducted and the
7.
subsequent violent attacks on political opponents of the regime are the expression of a further step towards
the establishment by President Lukashenko of an almost dictatorial regime in Belarus;

Expresses its solidarity with all Belarussians who strive for an independent, democratic Belarus based

8.
on the rule of law, as a member of the European community of nations;

9.
Expresses its conviction that the policy of the European Union towards Belarus after the referendum
and the elections must be urgently reviewed in the light of these events and that appropriate changes must
be implemented;

10.
Calls on the Commission, the Council and the governments of the Member States to continue and
wherever possible to reinforce their policy of isolation of President Lukashenko and the members of his
regime until clear steps are taken which demonstrate their willingness to respect democratic values and the
rule of law;

11.
Urges the Commission, the Council and the governments of the Member States to draw up an Action
Plan for further ways to increase — together with other democratic countries and international institutions
— support for all remaining democratic forces in Belarus and to assist more effectively those people in
Belarussian civil society working for democratic change in Belarus, by reconsidering the EU financial instru-
ments for that country;

Calls, in particular, on the Commission to urgently investigate the possibility of supporting neutral
12.
broadcasting to the citizens of Belarus and the creation of a special educational programme which would
grant scholarships for young people and students from Belarus who would like to study in the European
Union, and financial support for academic institutions that are prepared to host students from Belarus;

13.
Calls on the Council to decide on a set of targeted sanctions against members of the Belarussian
regime, including an expansion of the visa prohibition regulation for the authorities of Belarus, including
those responsible for the serious election violations, together with increased material support through
humanitarian and economic aid to the municipalities which oppose the regime;

14.
Calls on the Presidency-in-Office to include the situation in Belarus on the agenda for the forthcom-
ing EU-Russia summit on 11 November 2004 in The Hague, in the light of the close relations between the
two countries;

15.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Governments
and Parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of Belarus and the Parliamentary
Assemblies of the OSCE and of the Council of Europe.

P6_TA(2004)0046

Forthcoming elections in Ukraine

European Parliament resolution on the forthcoming presidential elections in Ukraine

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on Ukraine,

— having regard, in particular, to its resolution on Ukraine adopted on 11 March 2004 (1),

(1) Texts adopted, P5_TA(2004)0185.