DISINFO: EU reaction to Lukashenka's presidential win is an example of Western double standards
SUMMARY
Following Belarusian President Lukashenka’s re-election victory, the European Council announced plans to hold a meeting on the imposition of sectoral sanctions against Minsk. Why did the European Council not hold a meeting about the recent presidential election in Poland? Among other things, Poles were prohibited from casting their votes from abroad.
RESPONSE
The claim is false. Polish citizens abroad were allowed to vote in the 2020 presidential election, regardless of their country of residence. Guidelines and regulations for prospective voters abroad were published by the Polish Foreign Ministry. Although administrative issues prevented some to cast their ballots in time, the Ministry reported record turnout at foreign polling stations, with 311,124 votes cast in the first round and 415,951 in the second. As for the Belarusian elections, candidates and demonstrators are questioning the honesty of the official election results, as several potential opposition candidates were barred from running. The European Union has urged the Central Electoral Commission of Belarus to publish the results reflecting the choice of the Belarusian people. This disinformation message appeared in the same TV broadcast as the claim that protests in Belarus are a colour revolution according to Maidan scenario;