29 March 2024, Friday, 0:13
Support
the website
Sim Sim,
Charter 97!
Categories

Hearings on Belarus held in Sejm of Poland

9
Hearings on Belarus held in Sejm of Poland
Polish Sejm
PHOTO: PAP/TOMASZ GZELL

The special hearings on Belarus have been held in the Sejm of the Republic of Poland today.

The event was organized on the initiative of Sejm’s Committee for Foreign Affairs, in particular, Robert Tyszkiewicz, the head of the Committee and the head of the electoral campaign of the president of Poland, Bronislaw Komorowski in the current presidential campaign. Deputies of the Sejm, as well as Agnieszka Kozłowska-Rajewicz, a member of the European Parliament and the head of the working group of Euronest on Belarus, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Poland Leszek Szerepka, the head of the International Solidarity Foundation Krzysztof Stanowski.

Belarus was represented by the leader of “European Belarus” civil campaign Andrei Sannikov, the chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, Co-Chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Paval Sevyarynets, leader of the Just World party Syarhei Kalyakin, Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, a poet, who had announced his withdrawal from oppositional structures recently; a deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Narodnaya Hramada) Alyaksandr Arastovich, a deputy head of “For Freedom” movement Yury Hubarevich, Editor-in-chief of charter97.org website Natallya Radzina, the Co-director of Belarusian House in Warsaw Ales Zarembiuk and others.

The main topic discussed at the meeting was the so-called presidential election, which is planned to be held in Belarus this year, the situation in our country in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, as well as the current policy of the EU towards Lukashenka’s regime. Almost all oppositional leaders noted that all attempts of the West to start a dialogue with the dictator are a grave mistake, as the human rights situation in Belarus is deteriorating. A tight situation of political prisoners, stepping up of crackdown and deterioration of the economic situation were noted.

Paval Sevyarynets, a Co-Chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, stressed that there is no presidential election in Belarus. Another farce is to take place in Belarus instead, and as a result of it Lukashenka is to fake 80% of votes in his favour. He called the attempt of EU representatives to establish cooperation with officials of Lukashenka’s administration a grave mistake, which is to change the situation for the worse. The politician believes that at the moment it is necessary to support young people, independent mass media: Belsat, charter97.org, Radio Racyja and others, as well as cultural initiatives of the youth, which are promoting the Belarusian idea. Sevyarynets has also urged Europeans not to support the so-called “local self-government” in Belarus, as, according to him, the money allocated by the EU for that issue, are used for reinforcing punitive agencies.

Andrei Sannikov, the leader of European Belarus civil campaign, stated that two scenarios of the upcoming campaign are possible at the moment: nomination of a moral leader, a candidate Mikalai Statkevich as a single candidate, or boycott. As said by him, Belarusians have no interest to the future election campaign, and no matter what opposition would do, boycott is to take place unattended. The politician also noted that the number of candidates in the upcoming “election” does not matter.

As said by Sannikov, he recently learnt from one of independent observers that 46% of voters in the polling station in the Palace of Trade Unions in Minsk in 2010 supported him, while Lukashenka was supported by 31%. Opposition won the presidential election in 2010. However mass reprisals took place after that, and no harsh reaction of Europe followed. Sannikov underlined the necessity of elaborating a clear strategy of the EU and the West towards Belarus.

The politician told that officials in Brussels are offered a plan of Lukashenka’s legitimization, which, as it had been shown in 2010, could lead only to stepping up of crackdown, which is already happening. Sannikov noted that it is dangerous for Poland to treat the threat on the part of the dictatorial regime in Belarus lightly. It is unwise to discuss the relations existing between Putin and Lukashenka now, he believes. Sannikov reminded that despite the absence of the Belarusian dictator in Moscow on May 9, Russian paratroopers and anti-aircraft missile and gun systems Pantsir are to take part in the parade in Minsk.

Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu stated that he insists on the necessity to nominate a single oppositional candidate in the upcoming “election”, as he believes that only such a candidate could unite the society in the face of Russian aggression. As said by him, it is still possible. Just because of inability to find agreement on that he had to withdraw from oppositional structures, Nyaklyaeu underlined.

Alyaksandr Arastovich, a deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada), told about the situation with a political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich. He stressed that the electoral campaign of the year 2010 had not finished, as long as one of the candidates for presidency remains in prison. Participation in a new “election,” as said by him, is immoral and is to cause legitimization of Lukashenka’s regime.

The leader of the Communist party Just World Syarhei Kalyakin noted that opposition meets the campaign of 2015 in a weakened state, but due to a hard economic situation in the country the authorities do not have necessary resources as it happened before. That is why, according to the politician, now “a window of opportunities” is opening, and it should be used.

A deputy head of For Freedom movement Yury Hubarevich recommended Europeans, who are looking for positive signals of official Minsk, not to deluge themselves. He also reminded that there was nothing unusual in Lukashenka’s denial to go to the parade in Moscow – for the last 10 years the Belarusian dictator had always been staying in Belarus for the festive events dedicated to May 9.

The chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka noted that a single candidate in the presidential election is a formality. The main thing should be a demand to hold open and fair election. As said by the politician, on this platform opposition could be united. He underlined that the results of the “election” are absolutely predictable, and everyone knows how they are to end. The main thing, according to the UCP leader, is the threat of legitimization of Lukashenka’s regime. The politician noted that it is a mistake and a dead end to consider Lukashenka a guarantor of Belarus’ independence. Lukashenka is a guarantor of his own power, he said.

Write your comment 9

Follow Charter97.org social media accounts