U.S. DOES NOT ACCEPT BELARUS ELECTION RESULTS

Reuter
March 20, 2006

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The United States does not accept results of the Belarus election and believes the campaign that re-elected President Alexander Lukashenko was conducted in a "climate of fear," the White House said on Monday.

"We support the call for a new election," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan..

The United States had complained bitterly about events in Belarus ahead of the election..

McClellan warned authorities in Belarus against "threatening or detaining those exercising their political rights in their coming days and beyond," a reference to protests that have been reported there..

"The United States does not accept the results of the election. The election campaign was conducted in a climate of fear. It included arrests and beatings and fraud," McClellan said.