La dittatura bielorussa resiste: elezioni truccate...

Non c'erano però dubbi, il risultato era scontato. Così le elezioni presidenziali che si sono tenute ieri in Bielorussia hanno riconfermato, come c'era ampiamente da attendersi, il dittatore Aleksander Lukashenko con circa l'83% dei consensi a favore. Solo 6% per il principale leader dell'opposizione Milinkevich. Ecco i risultati finali:

Alexander Lukashenko: 82.6%
Alexander Milinkevich: 6.0%
Sergei Gaidukevich: 3.5%
Alexander Kozulin: 2.3%

Turnout: 92.6%

(source: BBC)

E' unanime il verdetto di Unione Europea, OSCE, Usa e associazioni minori: le elezioni sono state contrassegnate da ampi brogli e pesanti irregolarità.

Ecco il documento ufficiale dell'OSCE (qui trovate il documento ufficiale finale):

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Belarusian election severely flawed due to arbitrary use of state power and restrictions on basic rights

MINSK, 20 March, 2006 - The Belarusian presidential election on 19 March failed to meet OSCE commitments for democratic elections, despite the fact that voters were offered the potential for a genuine choice between four candidates.
Arbitrary use of state power and widespread detentions showed a disregard for the basic rights of freedom of assembly, association and expression, and raise doubts regarding the authorities' willingness to tolerate political competition, concludes the OSCE Election Observation Mission in a statement issued today. Over 500 international observers from 38 countries observed the voting and counting on behalf of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, PA. "The Belarusian people deserve better. The courageous efforts of the opposition candidates to offer voters a genuine choice for president were obstructed by actions by state authorities," said OSCE PA president Alcee Hastings, appointed by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office as the Special Co-ordinator for the short-term observers. "Elections do not democracy make. They are, however, the lynchpin of the democratic process. Democracy itself is a never-ending evolutionary process and, as signatories to the Helsinki Final Act, it is our responsibility to encourage each of the 55 member states to make steady progress toward achieving and perfecting it." Ambassador Geert-Hinrich Ahrens, Head of the Long-term Observation Mission deployed by the OSCE/ODIHR, added: "I would have liked nothing more than to be able to make a positive statement about the election we just observed. Unfortunately, there were too many serious violations of international election standards.
"It was deeply saddening to witness the deterioration that occurred towards the end of the election campaign. A positive assessment of this election was impossible. I most vividly regret this, but the OSCE commitments agreed to by all participating States have to be our guideline." A statement by the security services, accusing the opposition and civil society of planning to seize power and associating them with terrorism, contributed significantly to a climate of intimidation and insecurity. This was further exacerbated by harassment and detention of political and civil society activists. Opposition candidates faced difficulties in conveying their messages to the public, while the coverage of the President was extensive and favourable. State employees and students were under pressure not to participate in the campaign of the opposition candidates and to vote for the incumbent president.
On the positive side, the candidates were allotted two hours of radio and television time, free of charge, albeit partially censored. Election day was calm and orderly, but in many cases polling station commissions withheld basic information on polling from observers.
The vote count proved highly problematic, with observers assessing it negatively in a large number of counts witnessed. In a number of instances, the results were completed in pencil, and the majority of observers were prevented from standing close enough to see the marks on the ballot. Over 30 per cent of voters cast their ballot during five days of early voting. Lack of security provisions for the ballot box increased the possibility of fraud. The mission also received a number of reports that managers and directors pressured staff to vote early. Regrettably, eight ODIHR observers and 19 OSCE parliamentarians were either denied entry or visas and thereby prevented from participating in this mission.

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L'opinione degli osservatori della CSI è invece certa della regolarità delle elezioni e il presidente Lukashenko giudica impensabile il ritorno alle urne (chiesto invece dagli Stati Uniti).

Qui lo speciale della BBC.

Ecco come si è espresso Lukashenko a proposito di se stesso: "My position and the state will never allow me to become a dictator but an authoritarian ruling style is characteristic of me" (sic! La mia posizione e lo stato non mi permetteranno mai di diventare un dittatore, ma uno stile di governo autoritario è una mia caratteristica).

Che dire?

E' veramente sconcertante che Silvio Berlusconi si dichiari amico e sostenitore di Vladimir Putin, che lo difenda sottolineandone un presunto operato a salvaguardia della democrazia, quando l'amministrazione del suo altrettanto amico Bush dice a ragione che Minsk rappresenta "l'ultima dittatura europea".

Auspico vivamente, sinceramente, fortemente che il regime di Minsk possa cadere. Perchè ciò avvenga è essenziale, lo ripeto, se ancora ce ne fosse bisogno, porre il regime di Mosca, che ne è il protettore, di fronte ai suoi crimini e trattarlo di conseguenza. L'Occidente, di cui rivendico l'estranietà russa, deve sostenere i movimenti popolari, l'associazionismo, la protesta dal basso in questi paesi (c'è anche l'Azerbaidjan) by all available means. Non dobbiamo usare prepotenza verso questo paese (per quello c'è il Cremlino), dobbiamo anzi pretendere, esigere che sia un autentico, libero, voto popolare a sancire il destino del paese.

Come ergersi a protettori della democrazia e dei diritti umani se non saremo democratici noi stessi?