Free Elections Impossible In Belarus, Media Leaders Say
February 10, 2006
Members of the "Narodnaya volya" staff send out copies of the paper in an effort to circumvent government restrictions (file photo) (RFE/RL)
Voters in Belarus are due to go the polls to elect a president on 19 March.
The media advocates held a joint news conference in Moscow to highlight their concerns.
Alex Lupis, of the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists, said no election can be valid when voters are deprived of independent news about the candidates and their positions.
Oleg Panfilov, head of the Moscow-based Center For Journalism in Extreme Situations, said it was "impossible for Belarusian society to evaluate" the candidates.
Svetlana Kalinkina, managing editor of "Narodnaya volya," a leading Belarusian opposition newspaper, said the government is using overt threats as well as financial pressure to drive independent media out of business.
(AFP)