Press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

VIENNA, 11 January 2011 - The following is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States.

OSCE PA Working Group calls for national reconciliation in Belarus

COPENHAGEN, 11 January 2011 – The Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus, Uta Zapf, today called for dialogue among political forces in Belarus. Ms. Zapf regretted the repressive measures taken in the wake of the presidential election, resulting in a high numbers of political prisoners, and called for their immediate release.

Ms. Zapf, a member of the German parliament, strongly supported the Belarusian opposition’s decision to establish a national Co-ordinating Council.  She appealed to the authorities to cease harassment of opposition politicians, media and civil society representatives.

Having worked on promoting dialogue for well over a decade, Ms. Zapf stressed the importance of continued participation in the OSCE process and the need to find peaceful, inclusive solutions to political problems in Belarus.

“Many of the long-time, key interlocutors of our Working Group are currently detained on criminal charges related to post-election events. The OSCE has repeatedly commented on the need to reform laws on freedom of assembly, media and association in Belarus, and to bring them in line with OSCE standards,” noted Ms. Zapf. “I am sorry to see that not only are these laws still in place, but they are being applied against opposition and civil society in such a manner.”

Zapf also expressed regret over the decision of the Belarusian authorities to not extend the mandate of the OSCE field presence in Belarus – the OSCE Office in Minsk. The OSCE PA Ad Hoc Working Group on Belarus has worked closely with the OSCE field mission for many years, with joint projects planned for 2011. The Chair of the Group expressed strong support that the OSCE Office in Minsk be able to continue its operations under its established mandate.

The OSCE PA Ad Hoc Working Group for Belarus has worked since 1998 to assist in the development of democracy in Belarus and facilitate national reconciliation. The main aim of the Working Group is to facilitate dialogue between the Government and opposition of Belarus in an attempt to promote free and fair election processes and aid in the development of democracy. The Group includes parliamentarians from Germany, Poland, Italy and Norway.

The Assembly stands ready to continue supporting political dialogue in Belarus.