Opposition: EU, US mustn't recognize Belarus vote

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Opposition activists called Monday for the United States and European Union not to recognize the results of parliamentary elections swept by supporters of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who had promised the vote would meet international standards. Election officials insisted the election was free and fair, even though none of the 70 opposition candidates won seats in parliament, with results from all 110 voting districts counted. "The opposition has gone out of fashion," Central Elections Commission chief Lidiya Yermoshina said. She said more than 75 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in Sunday's election. "We can't say that the opposition has lost since in fact there was no election," Valentina Svyatskaya of the Belarusian Popular Front told The Associated Press.