Bundestag Rejects Belarus Presidential Election Results, Denies Lukashenko's Legitimacy

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th November, 2020) The German parliament on Wednesday adopted a resolution rejecting the results of the August 9 presidential election in Belarus, denying the legitimacy of President Alexander Lukashenko and calling for a new vote with the participation of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observers.

"The declaration has been adopted; the SPD [Social Democratic Party of Germany], Alliance 90/The Greens, CDU/CSU [Christian-democratic and pro-European political alliance], FDP [Free Democratic Party] voted in support, the AfD [Alternative for Germany] voted against and the Left party abstained," Bundestag Vice-President Claudia Roth said.

According to the Bundestag resolution, the elections were neither free nor fair.

"The new term of Alexander Lukashenko is thus deprived of any democratic legitimization," the document read.

The German lawmakers also condemned the violence exerted by the law enforcers against protesters and called for the immediate release of those detained for political motives.

"Allow fair and free elections under international supervision through the OSCE or other relevant institutions," the resolution added.

The Bundestag further welcomed the EU sanctions that were imposed against Belarus in early October and called for new sanctions against Lukashenko and his allies.

"The way out of the crisis in Belarus may lie in the creation of a round table with the involvement of a broad alliance of representatives of civil society," the resolution said, adding that there was a need for mediation efforts, including within the OSCE, as well as with the participation of Russia.

The lawmakers appealed to the Federal government, asking to provide financial support to the Belarusian protesters who have suffered from violence and help independent media.

Anti-government protests in Belarus, triggered by Lukashenko's victory in a presidential election that the opposition considers to have been rigged, have been ongoing since mid-August. The opposition and its supporters believe that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was the true victor.