Riga, March 21, 2006. -- The United States cannot accept as legitimate the election results announced yesterday by the Belarusian Central Election Commission declaring Aleksandr Lukashenka the winner in a landslide. As the OSCE preliminary report documents, the election "failed to meet OSCE commitments for democratic elections," and was characterized by "a disregard for the basic rights of freedom of assembly, association, and expression" as well by a "climate of intimidation and insecurity" and "highly problematic" vote count.

The United States congratulates the courageous Belarusian democrats who, against appalling electoral conditions and at great risk, have moved their country closer toward reclaiming its democratic rights. We support their call for a new election. We will stand with the people of Belarus and back their aspirations to take their rightful place among the world’s democracies.

The United States is preparing to take serious, appropriate measures against those officials responsible for election fraud and other human rights abuses, and we will be coordinating these steps with the European Union. We call on the regime in Belarus to release immediately those detained during the campaign. The international community will continue to scrutinize the actions of the Belarusian authorities, and we caution them not to harm, threaten or detain those exercising their political rights in the coming days and beyond.