Lukashenko resorted to massive election fraud to create illusion of overwhelming support, Independent Observation coordinator says

2001-09-21 21:20:00

Minsk, 21 September. Aleksandr Lukashenko resorted to massive election fraud to produce an illusion of his support by a constitutional majority of the Belarusians, Ales Belyatsky, a coordinator of the Nezavisimoye Nablyudeniye (Independent Observation) campaign during Belarus' recent presidential election, told reporters in Minsk on September 21. In towns, election officials were "rather cautious" in falsifying the results, whereas in rural areas, where almost no observers were admitted to polling stations, the authorities "manipulated the results as they wanted," Mr. Belyatsky said. "That is why the election commissions managed to fulfill the task of reporting that Lukashenko gained more than 75 percent of the vote," he noted. Mr. Belyatsky said that the Belarusian ruler would not want a less decisive victory because of his ambitions. Mr. Lukashenko's camouflaged and generalissimo-style embroidered uniform, which he wore during recent army maneuvers, made him look like Cuban leader Fidel Castro or Libyan leader Muamar Qadhafi, Mr. Belyatsky said. "The man who tries to look like outstanding historical figures can wish a decisive victory only," he added. Tatyana Protko, chairwoman of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, speculated that Mr. Lukashenko's "decisive victory" was a sort of a challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of a possible referendum on the unification of Belarus and Russia and elections for the Belarusian-Russian Union State parliament. She recalled that Mr. Putin gained 52 percent of the vote during Russia's 2000 presidential election. The support expressed by Mr. Putin for the Belarusian ruler shortly before the election paralyzed the will of those civil servants who resented Mr. Lukashenko's rule, said Vladimir Gudeyev, chairman of the Belarusian National Club of Voters. "They sought to alter election results in favor of the incumbent out of fear for their fate," he said, adding that without their support, Mr. Lukashenko would be faced with the necessity to hold the runoff round.