Open Letter from the Leaders of the Belarusian Center-Left Political Parties
Minsk, October 14, 2005Open Letter from the Leaders of the Belarusian Center-Left Political Parties
to the European Social-Democratic Parties
Dear Comrades!
The situation with democracy and human rights in Belarus continues to deteriorate.
The regime of Lukashenka recently introduced the enslaving contract system, which holds Belarusian workers in fear of loosing their jobs and prevents them from any social activities. The independent trade unions are being liquidated. Recently, the only pro-democratic daily “Narodnaya Volya”, has been banned from printing and distribution within the country. The level of repression against activists of the oppositional parties is constantly going up. The most of repression is directed against the left-centric democratic parties that express social and economic interests of the majority of Belarusians. Last summer, the Belarusian Labour Party was denied re-registration. At the beginning of 2005, the authorities intervened in the internal affairs of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) (BSDP (NH)) by denying re-registration and assisting in creation of the “constructive-oppositional” Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Gromada) (BSDP (G)). In the spring, the latter was used for provocations against the Belarusian Social-Democratic Hramada (BSDH).
Several months ago, leader of the BSDP (NH), Mikola Statkevich, has been convicted to three years of imprisonment for organizing peaceful demonstrations after the rigged parliamentary election and the referendum introduced by Lukashenka. Leaders of the newly created BSDP (G), Alyaxandr Kazulin, Anatol Lyaukovich and Uladzimir Nistyuk, sent letters to police and the office of public prosecutor with a request to open a criminal charge against Mikola Statkevich.
In September, the BSDP (G) overtook by force the office of the BSDP NH together with all the property, including the party archives and personal belongings of the BSDP NH members.
In spite all the repression from the government, the left-centric parties of Belarus continue the struggle for democracy and workers’ rights. We understand that in order to reach the goal, democratic forces of the country have to consolidate. That’s why we participated in creation of the single democratic coalition, and, together with the other oppositional parties, carried out the Congress of Democratic Forces (October 2-3, 2005). Over 800 participants of this event chose a single presidential candidate from the democratic forces and approved his course.
Lukashenka has numerously stated that “the opposition has to disunite” and the “constructive opposition” is to be created. It is clear that the role of a tool for “segmentation” is being played by the BSDP (G) leaders. Mr. Kazulin announced his non-recognition of the Congress outcome. On purpose, he made this statement after meetings with the Secretary General of the Socialists International and the leaders of the Czech Social-Democratic Party. In connection with theses meetings, large part of the Belarusian pro-democratic opposition has an impression that the European Social-Democrats support those working for segmentation of the Belarusian opposition.
We call on the Social-Democrats of Europe to make clear their position on the current regime of Lukashenka, the process of unification among members of the Belarusian pro-democratic opposition, and those who try to destroy the positive results of this process. The struggle for democracy in Belarus is, first of all, the struggle of Belarusians themselves. In this fight, though, we count on your solidarity and support.
Alyaxandr Bukhvostau, chairman of the Belarusian Labour Party
Valyantsina Matusevich, chairman of the Belarusian Women’s Party “Nadzeya”
Stanislau Shushkevich, chairman of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Hramada
Alyaxandr Arastovich, first vice-chairman of the Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada)
Olga Stuzhinskaya
Office for Democratic Belarus, Brussels