Belarusian National Congress Supported In Homel

A meeting of opposition has taken place in Homel with participation of leaders from Minsk.

The result of the meeting in Homel of Mikalai Statkevich and Viachaslau Siuchyk with activists from Homel, Kalinkavichy, Rechytsa, was voting of the participants for the necessity to hold a Belarusian National Congress of Democratic Forces, which is planned in Minsk on May 15, Radio Svaboda informs.

Out of more than 70 participants of the meeting only one cast a negative vote, and three abstained. The rest voted for the proposal.

A two-hour conversation took place in Palesskaya Street office on May 4, and it was dedicated to the state of the Belarusian society and democratic forces. According to speakers, over the two decades of the authoritarian rule people have “just resigned themselves to the fact that they are controlled and nothing depends on them apparently”:

“It’s a lie. The experience of neighbouring countries, including Ukraine, shows the opposite. We should fight for our rights – through elections, peaceful meetings, street rallies. The democratic opposition remains atomized, does not meet, does not solve problems together, with the exception of some regions.

Without unity anything at all could happen to our European country. And it is even frightful to think of what can happen: “Crimea is Ours”, a hybrid separatist war like in Donbas, where Russia fighting with Ukraine in fact,” – said Mikalai Statkevich and openly declared that he does not completely understand what leaders of some parties fear, refusing to participate in the Congress. A question of a single candidate of oppositional forces is to be discussed at the congress as well.

Statkevich warned opposition against participation in the parliamentary elections without changes in the electoral laws. As said by him, the National Congress should pass three main resolutions: “Belarus: the situation of the state and nation,” “The position of the Congress on the “parliamentary elections,” “On unity of the democratic forces.”

It is expected that the Council of the Congress is to be created, where regions are to be widely represented, and places for leaders of parties and movements are to be reserved.