BPF party urges investees to boycott Raiffeisen Bank
1- 24.03.2008, 13:04
The Belarusian Popular Front party calls upon Raiffeisen Bank savers to sever relations with it and withdraw their deposits from the bank. This has been announced by the chairman of the party Lyavon Barscheuski.
As said by him, it had been caused by statements of Alyaksandr Lukashenka in an interview to Austrian Press Agency (APA) on March 20. “Democracy in Belarus is the same as in Austria, almost identical,” the leader of the state said. “What else is missing in the democratic portrait of Belarus? And what else does Europe want from Belarus?” the president said.
“On the same day, March 20, one of the leaders of the Belarusian Popular Front party Andrei Tsyanyuta, was arrested. In this connection, I express my perplexity, why the Austrian government doesn’t react to Lukashenka’s statement about Belarus’ democracy being at the same level as in Austria. We do not understand why Austrian Raiffeisen Bank in fact sponsors the repressive regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka. In this connection I state that we shall initiate an address to all European clients of the bank and urge them withdraw deposits and transfer them to other banks, until all political prisoners would be released in Belarus,” L. Barscheuski.
A said by l. Barscheuski, the party would address all subjects of the United Democratic Forces coalition with a proposal to make similar statements. “Through partner organizations, through European press we shall address Austrian citizens who should ask their government why it helps the repressive regime of Belarus exist, and allows Lukashenka saying that he rules according to Austrian system,” L. Barscheuski said.
The politician hopes that his initiative will be supported both by party colleagues, colleagues in the UDF and “all citizens of European countries for whom the words “democracy” and “freedom” are not mere words”.
As said by L. Barscheuski, the party is to address its statement to public associations of Belarus, partner organizations and the European press.
