OSCE PA Working Group on Belarus visits Minsk

MINSK, 7 February 2003 - Three members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Working Group on Belarus, Ms. Uta Zapf (Germany), the Chair of the Group, Mr. Urban Ahlin (Sweden), and Lord Ponsonby (United Kingdom), visited Minsk from 5 to 7 February 2003. This visit, the Group's first in 2003, aimed to assess the progress made with the four criteria which include improvements in electoral legislation, strengthened functions for the parliament, media freedom, and non-harassment of opposition figures.

The visit was organized in light of the upcoming meeting of the OSCE PA Standing Committee on 20 February, at which time Belarus' representation in the Assembly is to be discussed.

During the course of the visit, the delegation met with Mr. Voitovich, Chairman of the Council of the Republic, Mr. Konoplev, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives, as well as other parliamentarians from the two chambers of the National Assembly. From the government, the delegation met with Mr. Khvostov, the Foreign Minister, and Mr. Podgainy, the Minister of Information. The delegation also met with representatives of opposition parties, representatives of civic organizations and trade unions, independent journalists, as well as OSCE Ambassadors and representatives of international organizations.

Finally, the delegation met with family members of those who have disappeared and been imprisoned in circumstances widely believed to be politically motivated.

The delegation welcomes the restoration of the OSCE's presence in Belarus through the OSCE Office in Minsk, as well as the appointment of Ambassador Eberhard Heyken as Head of the Office. The delegation was pleased by statements from government officials and from parliamentarians who expressed their willingness to co-operate with the new Office while at the same time respecting the fact that it should work without obstacles from the authorities.

The delegation seriously hopes that this spirit of co-operation will persist as the Office embarks on the challenging process of implementing its mandate.

The upcoming local elections was another subject of discussion in most of the delegation's meetings. Unfortunately, the election legislation has not been amended to reflect recommendations made previously by international organizations. Also, opposition party representatives do not appear to be adequately represented in the electoral commissions. Furthermore, while it would have been desirable for opposition parties to field more candidates in an effort to give the voters a real choice, it is also unfortunate that a significant number of those who did wish to run were denied registration for what appears to be minor violations or simply a lack of understanding of the electoral legislation.

It is nonetheless encouraging to hear reports that some of those registered candidates are using the election campaign to establish a genuine dialogue with their constituents. The delegation urges the authorities to use the time still available before the elections to correct certain deficiencies, as well as to ensure fair campaigning conditions, transparent voting and counting in an attempt to conduct these elections in a way which will be considered an improvement over previous elections. In particular, improvements could be made with respect to early voting, mobile voting and the framework for domestic observation.

The delegation noted with some disappointment that there appears to be no discernible progress in key legislation which has been the focus of the Working Group since just after the 2001 presidential elections. There is some hope, though, in the fact that a draft law on the mass media could finally appear on the agenda of the National Assembly later this Spring and, if passed in a version that meets international standards, could serve to better regulate a sector marred by abuses against the struggling independent media.

The delegation was also unhappy to learn that the investigations into the cases of disappeared politicians have been suspended, that the health of both Professor Bandazhevsky and Mr. Ravkov has deteriorated significantly, and that nearly the entire Chigir family appears to have become a target of political reprisals.

The delegation was also concerned that the trades unions are quickly losing all semblance of independence from the State. Generally speaking, there are few if any signs that the authorities have embarked upon a genuine process of democratization. Nonetheless, the delegation hopes that the opening of the OSCE Office in Minsk and its subsequent functioning could serve as a small, yet potentially important step towards breaking a long impasse in relations between European institutions and Belarus.