In an interview with Russia-1 TV which aired on Saturday, Aug. 29, President Vladimir Putin remarked that Belarusian officials had invited representatives of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to monitor the Aug. 9 elections in Belarus, but no one came.
“Why didn’t they come? This immediately makes us think that, basically, the position on the results of this election has already been prepared,” he said.
As has been previously reported, Western countries and Belarus’ opposition have rejected Lukashenko’s reelection. The Belarusian government has rejected claims of vote-rigging, and has ruled out a repeat election. Putin reiterated Russia’s position, saying “We believe this is, first and foremost, an internal matter of the Belarusian society and the people of Belarus.”
