OSCE Said Elections in Belarus were not Free and Fair

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe said on Monday that Sunday's parliamentary election in Belarus did not measure up to international standards for a democratic poll. The OSCE did not send a full-scale monitoring team to Belarus for the election because of doubts about its fairness before the vote, but did send a team of technical observers, Reuters reports. "The election to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on October 15 fell short of international standards for democratic elections," the OSCE mission in Belarus said in a statement. "In particular, the minimum requirements were not met for the holding of free, fair, equal, accountable and open elections," it said.