Belarusian “Parliament” – against Belarusian People’s Republic

Yesterday the Organizing Committee for celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic received a disallowance of the Commission on Education, Culture, Science and Scientific-and-technological advance of the “chamber of representatives” to announce the year 2008 the Year of Belarusian Statehood.

The following points were given:

“The list of state holidays and memorable dates is defined by the presidential Decree of March 26, 1998. March 25 is the day of adoption of the 3rd charter of the Belarusian People’s Republic, is not in this list, and to our mind, cannot be included into it”.

“Proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic (BNR) took place in difficult and contradictory conditions. The BNR wasn’t recognized by leading countries of the world, that is why one couldn’t speak about independence of the state announced on March 25, 1918”.

“Considering the abovementioned facts, we do not find sufficient ground for taking measures to announce the year 2008 Belarusian Statehood year”.

Other answer could hardly be expected from Belarusian “deputies” brought up by Stalin’s “History of the the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks” published by “Politizdat”. The Belarusian People’s Republic wasn’t mentioned there at all.

On January 8 an extended session of co-chairmen of the Nation-wide steering committee for celebration of the 90th anniversary of the BNR took place. Addresses to the Belarusian nation and government bodies of the Republic of Belarus “On Proclaiming the year 2008 90th anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic the Year of Belarusian Statehood”.