Kathleen Lynch
Question:57 Ms Lynch asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the recent elections in Belorussia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30080/04]
View answerWednesday, 24 November 2004
Questions (82)
Written answers
Ireland and the European Union are very concerned at the conduct of the parliamentary elections held on 17 October in Belarus. We believe that the elections were not conducted in a free and fair manner and we cannot, therefore, have confidence that the results truly reflect the will of the people of Belarus. We regret that an opportunity for Belarus to move closer to European values was missed.
The referendum outcome changed the state constitution to allow the President, at the next presidential elections in 2006, to seek to remain in power for a third term of office. There will be no representatives of opposition political parties in the new Parliament in Belarus. It now seems likely that President Lukashenko will remain in power for the foreseeable future. This does not bode well for any possible future democratic reform.
In its declaration of 20 October, the European Union expressed deep disappointment at the conduct of the elections and said that it fully agreed with the conclusions of the OSCE monitoring mission. The OSCE mission found that the elections fell significantly short of OSCE commitments for democratic elections and that democratic principles were largely disregarded by the authorities. In its declaration the EU underlined its regret that the Belorussian authorities did not seize the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to standards to which Belarus freely subscribed when it became an OSCE participating state. Importantly, the European Union confirmed that support will continue to be extended to all remaining democratic forces in Belarus.
Ireland favours a strengthening of contacts with civil society in Belarus with a view to encouraging and supporting democratic reform at the grass-roots level. However, great care must be taken to ensure that EU support does not inadvertently contribute to further repression of civil society and opposition forces.
Dáil Éireann is well aware that Ireland is among the states which have taken a lead in rendering humanitarian aid to Belorussian children in order to relieve the after-effects of the Chernobyl nuclear accident and it is familiar with the exceptional work of the Chernobyl Children's Project. In this context, the Government is concerned about the implications of an announcement by President Lukashenko on 17 November that regulations relating to children travelling abroad for medical treatment and recuperation are to be tightened up considerably, so that each permission to travel will require the approval of the Belarus minister for education. It appears a similar tightening up will apply in respect of adoptions.
In the discussion of Belarus at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 22 November, I raised the new regulations. I pointed out in particular that, if implemented, they would add a new and worrying dimension to the isolation of Belarus from the rest of Europe. I also asked Secretary General-High Representative Solana and his ministerial colleagues to share any information that might come to light in order to assist Ireland's efforts to clarify what exactly the new regulations will involve in practice. I emphasised that this is an issue which Ireland would wish to see pursued by the EU with the Belorussian authorities on humanitarian grounds with a view to encouraging them to modify their position. I also recommended that the Chernobyl Children's Project, whose experience and expertise equip it to make a very valuable contribution, should be invited to participate in the workshop which the European Commission is to organise in Lithuania to co-ordinate assistance to Belarus.
I and my Department will continue to monitor developments closely, and we are also pursuing it bilaterally with the Belorussian authorities. Ireland believes that Belarus must remain high on the agenda of the European Union and that every opportunity must be taken to raise the issue with Russia, which could play an important role. The European Union remains open to a dialogue with Belarus as soon as the authorities there demonstrate a willingness to respect democratic values and the rule of law.
Ireland sent three observers to the elections on 17 October as part of the OSCE election observation mission.
Question No. 58 answered with QuestionNo. 16.
Question No. 59 answered with QuestionNo. 19.