Let's be consistent folks, and demand free and fair elections in Belarus...

Putin is turning back the clock in Russia, but even he doesn't like what's going on in Belarus...

The Last Stalinist in Europe, from The American Thinker:

Last week, a tragedy occurred in Europe, though the American media largely ignored it, and our political leadership has not made it an issue. For all the talk of democracy in Iraq and in the Middle East, there is still one bastion of Stalinism in Europe. That is in the country of Belarus, where last week, the last of the Old Guard of the KGB flexed its muscle.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko “garnered” 82.6% of the popular vote in that election, against 3 other candidates. The reform candidates tried to garner a “White Revolution” in Belarus (Belarus actually means White Russia), but Mr. Lukashenko saw to it that the peaceful Belarussians were hauled off to jail and beaten with night sticks...

Read the rest here.

*** Update 4/1/2006 ***

Kira Zalen here:

Lukashenka’s twelve year reign can be summarized in two main themes. On the domestic front, he has intentionally and repeatedly stifled business growth, consolidated constitutionally separate branches of the government, shut down independent media, and made dissenters literally disappear. Internationally, Lukashenka has been accused of trafficking Russian arms to US enemies, and has managed to become personae non grate in every Western country.

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