"The Authority Should Be Changed to Make White-Red-White Symbols Back"

Today we have to remind of national symbols raising them above the streets of our cities.

On 19 September 1991 the Special Session of the Supreme Soviet adopted a new name of the country – the Republic of Belarus and also enacted symbols – the Pahonia coat of arms and a white-red-white flag.

Belarusian politicians told svaboda.org how to return national symbols.

Paval Sevyarynets, the co-chairman of the organizing committee for the creation of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, believes that national symbols can return through the change of power and through the church:

The Authority should be changed to make white-red-white symbols back. After all, this power mentally, unfortunately, is Soviet, as recent years show. It differs little from the so-called "elites" "LPR", "DPR", Transnistria, South Ossetia. These are people who will always look at Moscow and will always be afraid of a white-red-white flag. Therefore, the change of power comes first, and then a white-red-white flag will appear over roofs of official buildings.

In general, I think that this symbols will originate from churches: Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant - when the power changes.

Mikalai Statkevich, one of the leaders of the Belarusian National Congress, is convinced that it is quite possible to return the national symbols:

"It is only necessary to return the law and, accordingly, the legislative bodies elected by the people in fair elections to the country.

Now what can we do now - again and again to remind that national symbols are originally white-red-white, and not artificially manufactured, invented to order, with ridiculous colors and funeral ornaments. Actions should recall this, and not to go to illegally appointed officials and explain something to them - this will lead to nothing. One needs to go with symbols to the streets. Mass social protests occurred under the national flag in the spring, and protesters perceived it as their own."