OSCE Chairman Karel De Gucht deplores atmosphere of growing intimidation in the run-up to the elections in Belarus

BRUSSELS, 17 March 2006 - OSCE Chairman, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, is increasingly concerned about the situation in the run-up to Sunday's Presidential election in Belarus. He condemns the harassment and arrests of opposition candidates and their supporters as well as other forms of intimidation by the Belarus authorities.

"I am particularly shocked by threats made yesterday by the head of the state security agency in Belarus that peaceful demonstrators could face charges of terrorism, carrying a sentence of eight years imprisonment to death penalty", he said. "Is that a way to conduct democratic elections?"

The Chairman-in-Office urged the Belarusian authorities to immediately stop intimidation and refrain from any repressive reaction. "Citizens should be able to express their will freely in Sunday's vote, in an atmosphere free of fear and intimidation." he added.

Minister De Gucht is also very concerned about the problems that official election observers face entering the country. Some were even rejected at the border or held at the airport, including Georgian Parliamentarians as well as German and Polish observers.

The Chairman-in Office stressed that the Belarus Government, like that of all other OSCE States, was bound by its acceptance of the OSCE commitments on free elections. "It cannot choose to keep out specific OSCE observers", he said.