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On the Results of National Referendum
and Parliamentary Election
On October 17, the National Referendum and Parliamentary
elections were held in Belarus. The Presidential initiative at the
Referendum was supported by 77,3% of registered citizens. 6,269,123 people
took part in the voting.
Alexander Lukashenko obtained the right to participate in the 2006
Presidential elections.
In Brest oblast some 75,7% of voters supported the president's initiative;
in Vitebsk oblast, 80,1%, in Gomel oblast, 83%, in Grodno oblast, 82,2%, in
Mogilev oblast, 88,8%, in Minsk oblast, 75,7% and in the city of Minsk,
61,3%.
The Parliamentary elections were pronounced valid in 109 election districts
of Belarus. 107 deputies out of 110 were elected. The Chamber of
Representatives of the third convocation will include 31 women. 12 elected
parliamentarians represent political parties such as the Liberal and
Democratic Party, the Communist Party of Belarus and the Agrarian Party.
Statement by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Belarus
The election to the House of Representatives of the National
Assembly of the Republic of Belarus and the Republican Referendum that took
place in the Republic of Belarus demonstrated a convincing support by the
Belarusian people for the course for strengthening sovereignty and
independence of Belarus as well as for further fostering of its democratic
institutions.
Inviting a big number of international observers became a clear indication
of transparency of the election process in the Republic of Belarus. The
monitoring of the elections and the Referendum in Belarus was carried out by
the mission of the CIS member states, representatives of other international
organizations and independent observers. Despite the official invitation
from Belarus the OSCE ODIHR mission chose to observe only the election due
to lack of resources.
All necessary legal and organizational conditions were created in the
Republic of Belarus for conduction of the elections and the Referendum.
Interaction with the international observers was carried out in a spirit of
full openness and cooperation which was noted in CIS and OSCE ODIHR
missions' reports.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes with satisfaction the objectiveness
and balanced character of conclusions as well as of positive evaluation of
the election and Referendum results contained in statements by CIS and
independent observers.
It is against this background that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to
state with regret that in spite of a number of constructive conclusions and
recommendations, the ODIHR/OSCE PA conclusions did not in a due manner
reflect consecutive measures taken by Belarus as for improvement of the
election process and contain an evident lack of objectivity.
It is not surprising: under conditions of a bald pressure upon the
international observation on the part of the US and EC the leadership of the
ODIHR/OSCE PA failed to overcome a preset negative attitude toward the
results of the election and the Referendum.
The results of the international observation fully confirm the correctness
and timeliness of the conclusions contained in the Statement on the state of
affairs in the OSCE adopted at the CIS member states summit in Moscow on 3
July 2004 in which the leaders of the CIS member states called for
fundamental review of the methods and forms of OSCE ODIHR activities,
including those pertaining elections.
The Republic of Belarus having been consecutively supporting for several
passed years the reform of the OSCE will continue together with the CIS
countries as well as with other states an active work to this end.
On Number of Belarusian Citizens Who
Voted Abroad
8 283 citizens of Belarus voted at the Referendum and the
Parliamentary Elections to the Chamber of Representatives of Belarus at the
polling stations abroad.
On the whole 7 230 Belarusians constantly staying abroad were registered.
Some 2 thousand 631 people voted according to additional lists - mostly
those Belarusians who were making short-term trips abroad.
On Foreign Observers Accredited in
Belarus
685 international observers from 53 states were accredited to
observe the course of the Parliamentary Election and the Constitutional
Referendum in Belarus.
There were 248 observers from the CIS countries, 283 observers representing
the OSCE/ODIHR, and 121 independent observers.
Over 24,000 local observers observe the election, which was more than in the
2001 Presidential election campaign.
International Observers on Elections to
Belarusian Parliament and Referendum
***The situation during the parliamentary elections in
Belarus was calm and the vote itself proceeded in a transparent manner,
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said. "Our opinion is
that in general the outcome of the elections campaign in Belarus has
reflected some general aspects of public opinion in the republic. I can say
that it [the elections campaign] proceeded in a calm and transparent
fashion, which is undoubtedly an important factor from the point of view of
developing democratic institutions in this country and strengthening the
foundation of its civil society," Alexander Yakovenko said, commenting on
the Belarusian Parliamentary Elections and the Referendum. More than 70
Russian observers, who worked as part of international observer groups,
monitored the elections in Belarus, the spokesman said.
***The elections to the Belarusian Parliament and the Referendum are well
organized, an international independent observer from Italy, Professor of
Milan University Feligne Bezotri said. "I am satisfied with the situation at
polling stations and the work of election commissions, which are composed of
representatives of the Belarusian opposition as well", Feligne Bezotri
noted.
***The elections in Belarus are held maximally openly, independent observer
from Germany Franz Masser, who has been staying in Gomel oblast since
October 13, stated. Franz Masser said that he had been visiting Belarus with
the humanitarian mission for 7 years. During this period he has studied
thoroughly the constitution of Belarus and can say that it is the most
democratic one among those, which he has studied. Being a retired police
general Franz Masser participated in the elections in Germany. According to
him, the analogous campaign is held in Belarus in warmer and almost family
atmosphere.
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NBB Issues New List of Terrorist
Organizations which Accounts Must Be Frozen
The National Bank of Belarus (NBB) distributed among the
Belarusian commercial banks the additional list of persons and organizations
involved in terrorist activities connected with Al Qaeda and Taliban, whose
accounts are to be frozen if revealed in Belarus.
The list includes 112 organizations and 321 individuals. The full list is
available on the UN official website.
"If the banks reveal such accounts, there are to report to the NBB
immediately. The NBB is supposed to contact the Foreign Ministry and
relevant authorities," the NBB stated.
Belarus Invites International
Telecommunication Union to Participate in Scientific Conference
Belarus invited the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU) and its Secretary General Yoshio Utsumi to participate in the second
International Scientific Conference "Information Technologies and Legal
Informatization-2004", which is to be held in Minsk on October 28-29.
Belarus offered the UN to create a special fund to reimburse software
manufacturers the expenses associated with software supplies at reduced
prices to developing countries.
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