Preparation for the Presidential Election in Belarus was considered in Norway

On February 15, a seminar called "Prospects for elections in Belarus on March 19, 2006” took place in Oslo in the office of Norwegian Helsinki Committee. The members of the HRC Viasna Alies Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, and Tatsiana Raviaka and the representatives of Norwegian human rights organizations, Norwegian media, and state bodies took part in the seminar. The situation in Belarus before the Presidential Elections was discussed within the frames of the seminar.
Belarusian human rights activists said that the last stages of the election campaign show that the elections do not meet international standards of elections, the principles of openness and democracy.
After the speech the Belarusian participants answered the questions of the other participants of the seminar. Norwegian media expressed great interest towards the social and political situation in Belarus and they also wandered if they could render assistance in the process of democratization of Belarus.