Brussels, Luxembourg, 13/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 12 October, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn stated that much remained to be done in Belarus for its elections to be democratic. President Alexander Lukashenko, believed to be the last dictator in Europe, was re-elected for a fifth mandate on 11 October, with 83.49% of the votes.
“According to the OSCE-ODIHR mission, Belarus still has considerable way to go towards fulfilling its OSCE commitments for democratic elections. Work needs to be done to improve the electoral framework, particularly on balanced electoral administration and election day procedures”, Mogherini and Hahn stated in a press release. They described the fact that the election took place in a “peaceful environment” as “important”.
Saying that the EU would study the OSCE recommendations and final report “carefully”, Mogherini and Hahn warned that before the parliamentary elections of 2016, “these recommendations should be implemented by the national authorities”. “We are ready to assist Belarus in its efforts to bring its election process in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections”, they added.
Arriving at the Council on 12 October, Germany's Foreign Affairs Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that Lukashenko had been re-elected “without surprise” but that “there is nothing that resembles a crackdown around these elections”. France's Secretary of State for European Affairs Harlem Désir said that the election had taken place in a “calm environment”, in “more transparent and calm” conditions and without a crackdown on the opposition candidate and his support.
EU expected to suspend sanctions. Elsewhere, the EU is reportedly in agreement on suspending its sanctions against Belarus, according to Désir. “For the next four months, there is the principle of suspending these sanctions, which could nevertheless be implemented again immediately if this was justified”, he said on 12 October. After the release of political prisoners and the elections, “we would like to encourage an evolution towards democracy in this country, which is an Eastern Partnership country - an evolution towards respect for the rule of law and human rights”, Désir added. “Lifting sanctions definitively will be examined by the EU in early 2016. We have said that we are able to assess, at the beginning of next year, at the end of January, whether the conditions are fulfilled”, said Steinmeier.
These sanctions target 175 people and 14 entities. Their assets are frozen in the EU and they are deprived of a visa. The sanctions come to an end on 31 October. They are expected to be extended, but suspended from November to the end of February. According to a European source, the four people who reportedly have responsibility for the disappearances would not be concerned by the suspension of sanctions. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)