English

Permanent council of pro-democracy organizations to be established in Belarus

A decision to establish a permanent council of pro-democracy organizations was adopted at a meeting of Belarusian opposition politicians on April 15.

The idea of establishing such a council was approved by all organizations represented at the meeting, including the United Civic Party, the Belarusian Popular Front, the Hramada Belarusian Social Democratic Party, the Spravedlivy Mir (Just World) Belarusian Party of the Left, the Movement for Freedom, the Independent Union of Electronic Industry Workers, Belarusian Christian Democracy, the Narodnaya Hramada Belarusian Social Democratic Party, Belaruski Rukh (Belarusian Movement) and opposition groups called European Belarus and Razam (Together).

“I think we feel cautious optimism,” Anatol Lyabedzka, chairman of the United Civic Party, told BelaPAN. “Today all participants at today’s meeting spoke in favor of the establishment of a permanent council of pro-democracy organizations of Belarus. This is an accomplished fact, although some leaders may need to have this decision legitimized within their organizations.”

According to Mr. Lyabedzka, at the next meeting, scheduled for April 27, participants are expected to adopt rules of procedure for the council.

“The first thing we will start with are preparing for the upcoming parliamentary elections,” Mr. Lyabedzka said. “We will discuss how to make this campaign to be as successful as possible for the advocates of change, for Belarus and our organizations.”

“Six or seven institutions were initially expected to be represented in the council, but now we believe that 13 to 15 organizations will be represented in it,” Mr. Lyabedzka said.