Yanukevich: PACE rapporteur interested in election, political prisoners etc

Special Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Political Affairs and Democracy Andrea Rigoni is on his official visit to Belarus. On February 25, he met with the leaders of the Belarusian opposition. The Special Rapporteur was interested in the views of Opposition representatives on the political situation in Belarus and the upcoming presidential elections. Chairman of the BPF Party, Alyaksei Yanukevich, who attended the meeting spoke with Euroradio.

Yanukevich: "For our part, we noted that there should be drawn up a clear, step by step road map for the development of dialogue between the Council of Europe and Belarus. Release of political prisoners and the abolition of the death penalty should be present on the basic list. Also, Mr. Rigoni was interested in presidential elections, he raised the issue of political prisoners."

According to Alyaxei Yanukevich, the issue of a single candidate in the presidential election in Belarus "was not really tense". The Special Rapporteur was more interested in the formation of electoral commissions and forecasts of the opposition.

The meeting with Andrea Rigoni was also attended by opposition leaders Alyaksandr Milinkevich, Pavel Sevyarynets, Iryna Veshtardt, Anatol Lyabedzka, Syargei Kalyakin.

The Special Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe met  with the Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Uladzimir Andreichanka. Rigoni said that the previous speaker of the Council of Europe was in the country five years ago. He said that PACE wants to resume dialogue with Belarus and cooperation with the parliament of our country but is waiting on the steps from the official Minsk.

Photo: svaboda.org