“Narodnaya Volya”: Shock. Statkevich’s team goes into election

Why none of the political prisoners except for Mikalai Statkevich has written politically relevant letters?

The organizing committee for creation of the Social Democratic Party “Narodnaya Hramada” has made a statement that they are going to participate in the campaign for election of “the chamber of representatives” deputies.

The situation seems strange: a number of parties have laid it down as a principal condition for participation in the parliamentary election to release political prisoners, and if it is not done, they are going to boycott the election, while members of the party whose leader Mikalai Statkevich, stays behind the bars, abandoned boycott, “Narodnaya Volya” writes.

Interestingly, the organizing committee for creation of “Narodnaya Hramada” substantiates its decision by the position of their leader, explained in his letters from prison, though it is unknown whether letters with other content could pass censorship. They probably mean the letter from Statkevich written in December 2011, where Statkevich presented his views on how the Belarusian democrats could get out of the deadlock.

“The democratic parties, once created and prepared for participation in fair election, cannot individually solve the problem of the regime’s dismantling,” Statkevich wrote. “But they could become organisers of such a wide movement of all strata of the society. It’s time has come. Only such a movement could turn the tide in the direction of democracy.”

And then Statkevich said the following: “Democratic parties should not just become the backbone of the Movement, but to perform their classical functions. Participation in the nearest parliamentary election is meant, which I find indispensible. In absence of progress in democratization of electoral legislation, the aims of participation in the parliamentary election campaign for the democratic forces should be: using legal opportunities for holding a nation-wide agitation campaign, carrying out coordinated protest rally all over the country in the format of meetings with voters, collection of evidence of the electoral fraud. Non-participation of the opposition in the elections is not ground for their international non-recognition, as well as participation is not grounds for its recognition.”

Having quoted the last line from Statkevich’s letter in their resolution, his party members have taken a decision to participate in the election. Their resolution reads:

“Proceeding from that, and having an aim of stepping up the campaign for Mikalai Statkevich’s release and release of other political prisoners; increasing awareness of the society and growth of authority and popularity of the BSDP (NH):

We find it necessary to take part in the nearest election campaign, including participation in the framework of the campaign “For Fair Election – 2012”:

The party is taking part in nomination of representatives to the election commissions of all levels, , as well as to organisations for observation over the parliamentary elections, out of the members of the party.

The party is nominating candidates for deputy, supports campaigns of democratic forces’ candidates in certain constituencies.

The party uses the parliamentary election for carrying out an informational and mobilization campaign “For Release of Mikalai Statkevich!”, growth of prominence of the BSDP (NH), attracting new members and supporters.

The campaign is to be finished by thorough analysis of its effectiveness.”

Notably, right after this information was posted at Statkevich’s website, a short comment of a person called Vlad appeared there: “What a shame!”

Statkevich’s wife Maryna Adamovich decided to argue with the Internet commenter, like Nadezhda Krupskaya engaged in a debate over Lenin’s political heritage.

“If it is a disgrace to support the leader, who even in prison is consistent in his aspiration to use any legal opportunities, so what is glory? Is it to support those who are “going to fight for release of political prisoners” by the means, which are not approved by Mikalai Statkevich, the key prisoner, himself? Oh Lord! Your mind is turned upside down!” Maryna Adamovich wrote.

It is really an upside-down and incomprehensible situation, especially considering that no other political prisoner, with the exception of Statkevich, had any opportunity to write any letters with politically relevant contents.