Condemning Sham Parliamentary and Local Elections in Belarus
The United States condemns the Lukashenka regime’s sham parliamentary and local elections that concluded today in Belarus. The elections were held in a climate of fear under which no electoral processes could be called democratic. The regime continues to hold more than 1,400 political prisoners. All independent political figures have either been detained or exiled. All independent political parties were denied registration. Belarusians abroad could vote only if they returned to Minsk, where they would have likely faced reprisals. These abuses have effectively frozen genuine political activities and discourse inside Belarus. The regime prevented the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe from observing the elections, further limiting the transparency that is essential to free and fair elections.
The United States recognizes the strength, resilience, and courage of Belarus’s civil society and democratic movement, which demand a voice in determining their country’s future. The United States again calls on the Lukashenka regime to end its crackdown, release all political prisoners, and open dialogue with its political opponents. The Belarusian people deserve better.
Official news published at https://www.state.gov/condemning-sham-parliamentary-and-local-elections-in-belarus/
Politics - JISIP NEWS originally published at Politics - JISIP NEWS
FOREIGN MINISTER FIDAN: (Via interpreter) Distinguished members of the press, today we are hosting the U.S. Secretary of State, my counterpart, Secretary Antony Blinken, in Ankara. And I’m very pleased to host him. He has been received last by our president today, and as of this meeting we have been having intense deliberations. Of course […]
Representatives from the U.S. Department of State, including Jennifer Bachus, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy; and Allison Peters, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; as well as Jaisha Wray, Assistant Administrator for the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will […]
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Good morning, everyone. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Okay, so here’s a professional tip. Never follow Sara Minkara. (Laughter.) It’s a little bit like getting on stage after Taylor Swift. (Laughter.) Sara, it’s not just that I’m proud of you; it’s that I’m grateful for you, and for your entire team. The work that […]