EUROPEAN LAWMAKERS THURSDAY URGED EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES NOT TO RECOGNIZE ALEKSANDR LUKASHENKO AS BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT AND CALLED FOR VISA RESTRICTIONS ON BELARUSIAN OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS DURING LAST MONTH'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, DPA REPORTED. 'LUKASHENKO CANNOT BE RECOGNIZED AS THE LEGITIMATE PRESIDENT OF BELARUS AND... THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS SHOULD BE REPEATED IN COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC STANDARDS,' EUROPEAN MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT (MPS) SAID. BELARUSIAN AUTHORITIES CONDUCTED THE ELECTIONS IN A CLIMATE OF FEAR AND ISOLATION, SUPPRESSING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND VIOLATING THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF ITS PEOPLE, PARLIAMENTARIANS SAID. 'THE LUKASHENKO REGIME LACKS ALL DEMOCRATIC LEGITIMACY AND CONTINUES AS THE LAST DICTATORSHIP IN EUROPE,' THEY UNDERLINED. EUROPEAN UNION LEGISLATORS CALLED FOR THE FREEZING OF ASSETS BELONGING TO LUKASHENKO AND HIS ADVISERS ABROAD, WHILE STRESSING THAT ANY SANCTIONS MUST NOT HARM THE CITIZENS OF BELARUS. MPS ALSO SLAMMED RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AND HIS PARLIAMENT FOR REACTING POSITIVELY TO LUKASHENKO'S RE-ELECTION. 'THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EU POLICIES TOWARDS BELARUS IS UNDERMINED BY THE IRRESPONSIBLE ATTITUDE OF THE MOSCOW AUTHORITIES,' EUROPEAN MPS SAID. THE PARLIAMENT'S MOVE COMES AHEAD OF A EU FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING ON APRIL 10-11 IN LUXEMBOURG, WHERE BELARUS IS EXPECTED TO BE ON THE AGENDA. ---SP 23 29 LOCAL TIME 20 29 GMT
