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United Civic Party’s presidential nominee comments on his visit to Poland

Yaraslaw Ramanchuk, the United Civic Party (UCP)’s presidential nominee, called a news conference Wednesday to tell reporters about his recent two-day visit to Poland, BelaPAN.by.

During the visit, UCP Deputy Chairman Ramanchuk had meetings with Senate Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Andrzej Halicki, chairman of the Sejm's Foreign Affairs Committee.

“We informed Polish politicians, analysts and ministers of what was really going on in Belarus,” said Mr. Ramanchuk, a 44-year-old ethnic Pole. “Although 15 nomination groups are participating in the presidential race, only two or three pro-democratic candidates will reach the final stage. That’s why we tried to explain to Polish politicians why they should focus their attention on these candidates.”

To ensure the election's compliance with democratic standards, there is no need to amend electoral regulations, Mr. Ramanchuk said. "It is enough to simply change the instructions of the central election commission regarding observation, the formation of election commissions and ballot-counting," he said. "We expressed this view and were pleased to hear that Poland would advocate it in talks with the Belarusian authorities."

Before the meeting with Mr. Sikorski, Mr. Ramanchuk met with representatives of Polish NGOs, who he said expressed fears that the Polish government would scrap its programs in support of pro-democratic organizations in Belarus.

However, Mr. Sikorski insisted that this would not happen, Mr. Ramanchuk said.

While in Poland, Mr. Ramanchuk talked to local reporters and gave a live television interview.

The United Civic Party is one of the few to attempt to act not only within the country but also abroad, said the chairman of the party, Anatol Lyabedzka.

“However often we may say that Belarusian problems should be solved inside the country, we have to acknowledge that change will not come to Belarus without the help of external factors, and if it does, this will happen with a huge delay,” he said.