15/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - Local elections held on 14 January in Belarus were not democratic, External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said on Monday. “The fact that, in an overwhelming majority of electoral districts, there was no alternative to the candidate supported by the authorities indicates a blatant lack of democratic pluralism in these elections”, Ms Ferrero-Waldner criticises in a press release. She deplores the fact that the restrictive rules for the electoral campaign as well as the intimidation of Democrat opposition candidates “seriously undermined” freedom of expression, of association and assembly. The Commissioner also reminded Belarusian authorities that “the EU remains open to developing bilateral relations with Belarus, including in the context of a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and the European Neighbourhood Policy, provided the Belarusian authorities prove a sincere willingness to respect human rights, the rule of law and democratic values and initiate democratic reforms”. (hb)