{"id":117264,"date":"2024-12-08T20:05:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T17:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/117264\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"idu-minsk-cannot-ensure-free-and-fair-election","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/117264\/","title":{"rendered":"IDU: Minsk cannot ensure free and fair election"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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December 8, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>The International Democracy Union (IDU), an international alliance of center-right and right-wing parties, condemned<\/a> “the Belarusian regime\u2019s attempts to organize a rigged presidential election,\u201d in its recent resolution on Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on the analysis presented by the Belarusian opposition United Civic Party, the resolution was adopted two days ago at the IDU Executive Meeting in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities in Minsk undermined the democratic rule of the Belarusian people in 2020, suppressed the peaceful protests that followed and keep \u201cconducting a campaign of arrests directed at opposition figures,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resolution noted a lack of conditions for free and fair elections, with outlawed opposition parties, independent unions and NGOs. Belarus does not have “means for secure ballot-keeping and transparent counting, with the identities of all election commission members being classified and no independent observers allowed,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IDU urged the international community “to not recognize the current campaign in Belarus as a valid ‘election’ and to refuse to acknowledge Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka’s legitimacy.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resolution demanded free and fair elections in Belarus, the release of all political prisoners and an end to politically-motivated persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka and his officials \u201cshould not be allowed to \u2018turn the page\u2019 without accountability,” the IDU stressed, calling for coordinated efforts \u201cto keep Belarus on the path towards democratization.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus will hold its seventh presidential election from January 21 to 26, with the whole election cycle limited to just three months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from \u0141uka\u0161enka, the bidders include his supporters Aleh Hajdukievi\u010d, Alaksandar Chi\u017eniak, Siarhiej Syranko\u016d as well as former MP Hanna Kanapackaja. Two days ago, the contenders completed collecting ballot-access signatures. All candidates must garner at least 100,000 voter signatures to qualify for the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current campaign is taking place in a purged political landscape amid a new wave of crackdown on regime critics. The previous 2020 presidential race was marred by police brutality against peaceful protesters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus has not held a single free and fair election since 1996 by the standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Official: 2.5 million ballot-access signatures collected for \u0141uka\u0161enka<\/h3>\n
December 8, Pozirk. A record 2.5 million ballot-access signatures have been collected for Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s presidential nomination, his administration's head D\u017amitryj Krutoj announced yesterday at an election rally and concert in Or\u0161a, Viciebsk region. \u0141uka\u0161enka, who has been in power …<\/div>\n \n