Free elections and voluntary resignation of Lukashenka can save Belarus

16.06.2009, 16:10

This idea was expressed today by leaders of the Belarusian opposition Andre Sannikov, Stanislau Shushkevich, Alyaksandr Kazulin, and Lyavon Barshcheuski at a press conference in Minsk.

Andrei Sannikov, leader of the civil campaign “European Belarus”, Stanislau Shushkevich, former chairman of the Supreme Council of Belarus and head of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada, Alyaksandr Kazulin, former political prisoner and former candidate for presidency in Belarus, and Lyavon Barshcheuski, leader of the Belarusian Popular Front party began the press conference on June 16, the Day of Belarusian Solidarity, with a special statement.

The opposition leaders noted in the statement that system legal protection from prosecution for political, religious, and other view is still absent in Belarus. The official Belarusian authorities hide real human rights situation in the country in contact with the European Union.

The politicians drew attention to necessity to carry out independent investigation of disappearances of political opponents of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s regime and instigation of criminal cases against law enforcement officers who allow brutal measures of intimidation of participants of the peaceful political and human rights resistance.

The opposition leaders demanded to release immediately political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka, stop persecution of participants of the so called Process of 14, remove groundless record of conviction from former political prisoners, retire all persons from the army who have been drafted for military service on political grounds, destroy all “black lists” made up by the authorities for last 15 years against their political opponents in order to deprive them of opportunities to find a good job and study in education institutions in the country, and stop ruining national culture and history.

“Absence of concrete and operative steps by the Belarusian authorities to change the human rights situation in Belarus will continue to demonstrate the non-democratic, illegitimate, repressive character of the current regime, and we are not going to give up our efforts of gaining a constitutional change of power.

We believe that Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s regime will never become a guarantor of independence of our country and democratic changes in the state. Only free presidential elections, carries out under real public control, can trigger a process tackling the crisis in our society,” Andrei Sannikov, Stanislau Shushkevich, Alyaksandr Kazulin, and Lyavon Barshcheuski said.

Alyaksandr Kazulin, former political prisoner and former candidate for presidency in Belarus, noted that European politicians should realize there’s no political and economic liberalization in Belarus.

“Political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich and US national Emanuel Zeltser are on hunger strike in Belarusian prisons. Activist of “European Belarus” Maksim Dashuk was sentenced yesterday to a year and three months of restraint of liberty. It demonstrates that the authorities of Belarus haven’t made any conclusions; they continue repressions against the opposition. Besides, a law is being prepared now that will allow officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the KGB and the State Control Committee to arrest people without a prosecutor’s warrant. It means that the authorities are preparing to use force to solve economic problems. Western and EU diplomats don’t make statement in this respect. One should keep silent in this situation. On June 16, the Day of Belarusian Solidarity, we’d like to turn attention of the international community to the events in our country. We’d like European heads of state, declaring moral values, rights, and freedom to be foremost, to see the danger of the situation in Belarus,” the politician said.

According to Kazulin, the acting authorities are unable to face the challenge of time. “We see a system crisis in all areas now, and it is aggravating. In any country, if the authorities fail to manage the situation, they resign. The power in Belarus may change naturally. We represent the forces that believe our country must see the changes leading it out of the crisis,” the politician stated.

Former chairman of the Supreme Council of Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich noted that the statements made by the opposition leaders at the today’s press conference are a foundation capable to unite all democratic forces of Belarus.

“I stand for the integration that will increase the number of participants in the democratic process. The approach is simple – we have a foundation that doesn’t contradict approaches of all democratic forces of Belarus. We set it up, wrote it down, and signed. If someone disagrees with signing certain statements of the situation, you should ask those who disagree,” the politician said.

The leader of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Andrei Sannikov attracted attention of the world community to the fact that Belarusian propaganda is trying to present the conflict of Lukashenka’s regime with Russia as the dictatorship’s turning toward the West.

“We would like to attract attention of the Belarusian and world community to the situation with human rights in our country exactly now, against the background of the row between the Belarusian leadership with Russia. Such a development of relations with Russia is quite logical, as bankruptcy of Lukashenka’s policy has become evident for all. At the same time there are efforts (which we observe at the state TV) to pretend that by conflicting with Russia, the Belarusian dictator allegedly turns towards the West. And immediately comments of some Western politicians emerged, who state that their friendship with Lukashenka has been useful.

However, I would like to remind that last week we learnt a lot of new things. From an interview of Lukashenka to the Russian newspaper “Zavtra” we have learnt that opposition leaders have bee really murdered. From the interview of Vladlena Funk, the secretary of the US citizen Emanuel Zeltser arrested in Minsk, we learnt what is going on in Belarusian prisons with citizens of Western countries in reality. So far we haven’t received such tragic testimony. We call upon the international community and journalists to turn attention to the situation with human rights in Belarus. Mikalai Autukhovich is on hunger strike for the 62nd day, and the life of this courageous person who is fighting for his rights is at risk. And if now, amid the conflict with Russia, the situation with human rights would be hushed up, that would be a tragedy for Belarus,” stated the leader of the “European Belarus”.

Andrei Sannikov noted that the authorities still have a chance to overcome the crisis situation in Belarus. And this chance is a dialogue inside the country.

“Two years ago, when there was no world crisis, we offered Lukashenka to carry out a dialogue inside the country. Its goal was exactly to find a way out of the difficult economic state and embark on the path of democratization. I believe that only a free election under full-scale control of the society, could become a beginning of the process of overcoming the global crisis by our society. It is the foundation which unites everything. Now it is only important to demand free election resolutely. If Lukashenka cannot agree for that, like he couldn’t before, we should address the government. And then we should look for a course without Lukashenka. We are ready for talks. Nobody gives up a dialogue with the regime under the condition of absence of political crackdown,” the politician stated.

At the press-conference a special attention was paid to the issue of “milk war” between Russia and Belarus, and scandalous statements in the Russian press by representatives of the Russian president’s administration that Russia can “remove Alyaksandr Lukashenka from the position of the president of Belarus”.

“Everything that is going on in the relations between Belarus and Russia in recent months and days means a death-bell for the “union state”. We have been seeking civilized, normal relations with Russia for a long time, which includes a civilized border. It shouldn’t be permeable for the crime, but should be convenient for economic, cultural and personal contacts.

We categorically oppose participation of the Belarusian army in any military blocs controlled by Russia, especially the rapid reaction force of the CSTO, which can become a riot police of the post-Soviet totalitarian space. Lukashenka’s statements on the two above-mentioned topics could be welcomed, but for Lukashenka the sovereignty of the country remains an instrument of personal autocracy. The United Europe could state its readiness to help Belarus institutionally, and financially, by accepting its goods to its markets, under a condition of immediate steps of the authorities on democratization of the country, transparency of adoption of political and economic decisions,” stated the leader of the Belarusian Popular Front party Lyavon Barshcheuski.

Andrei Sannikov is convinced that the change of the Belarusian president should take place only though holding free and democratic elections.

“I treat the statements of the Russian officials as impudence. But as long as a war of savages is going on, one cannot expect any gracefulness or diplomacy. All these things step over the bounds of diplomacy and international relations. It’s flinging mud at each other and the use of trade and economic relations for gaining political ends. The conflict with Russia is a symptom that Lukashenka is digging an every time deeper pit for himself by his own hands. His participation in creation of the collective rapid reaction force of the CSTO is nothing else but a mandate for Russian special services for their activities inside Belarus. Delegating powers to Russia for joining the WTO is nothing else but undermining the sovereignty and independence of Belarus. Holding Russian military exercises on the territory of Belarus is destruction of Belarus’ independence. That is why Lukashenka has deserved everything her is getting from Russia now. And we offer the regime a way out though a dialogue inside the country, and as soon as possible. Otherwise serious problems are inevitable.

Only free election and voluntary resignation of Lukashenka can save Belarus,” stated the leader of the “European Belarus”.