Belarusian opposition leaders Mikalai Statkevich, Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu and Anatol Lyabedzka have urged the international community not to recognize the results of the Belarusian presidential election. They announced it at a joint press conference held in Mink on the evening of October 11.
"The political campaign called ‘the presidential election in the Republic of Belarus’ is over,” BelaPAN quotes Nyaklyayeu. “It was absolutely predictable: it was announced that a real President needs to get at least 82% of the vote (Lukashenka’s recent statement) and it has come true.”
The opposition leaders have gathered to announce that ‘the performance organized by the Belarusian regime cannot be considered an election and that they do not recognize the election’, Nyaklyayeu said. There are more than enough reasons for it, he stressed. "There is the data presented by independent observers and the fact that the authorities have rigged the election,” the politician said. “The regime has never forced people to vote early as much as this year. Judging by the previous election campaigns, we can be sure that the early vote is always 100% stolen.”
The election campaign can be called anything but ‘an election’, Nyaklyayeu claimed. “This is humiliation for the Belarusian people, Belarusian citizens. We are urging the international community to assess the events of October 11 this way and not to recognize this election,” the politician announced.
It is essential that the presidential election is not recognized and that Lukashenka’s legitimacy is not accepted on the international arena, United Civil Party leader Anatol Lyabedzka noted.
