Anniversary of unlawful referendum: national flags all over Belarus (Photo) 15

13:09, — Politics

White-red-white national flags appeared in Minsk and other Belarusians towns on the 13th anniversary of referendum 1995, when national symbol were forbidden.

National white-red-white Belarusian flags appeared today’s morning on Victory Square in Minsk, in front of Freedom Square and Europe Hotel.

The places, where national flags were hung out, had been specially chosen by the Young Front activists. Firstly, these city cites have special meaning for any Minsk dweller – Victory Square reminds of heroic fighting of millions of Belarusians against fascist occupants, and Freedom Square is one of the symbols of independence of the Belarusian state, a reminder of national liberation movement of Belarus and anti-communist resistance. Secondly, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, initiator of the anti-Belarusian referendum 1995, every day goes to work on the road, where a national flag appeared.

13 years ago, on 14 May 1995, a referendum was held on cancelling of white-red-white flag and Pahonya court-of-arms as state symbols, cancelling the status of Belarusian language as a single state language, economic integration with Russia and president’s right to dismiss parliament.

Alyaksandr Lukashenka said he didn’t recognise national symbols yet in 1993, one year before the presidential elections. He defiantly wore a BSSR red-green MP badge. An idea of a referendum was firstly introduced by Lukashenka at a session of the Supreme Council in March 1995.

As it was found out later, sketch of the “new” court-of-arms was worked out in the cabinet of Leanid Sinitsyn, head of the Presidential Administration.

19 BPF (Belarusian Popular Front) M, headed by Zyanon Paznyak, embarked on hunger strike, but were beaten up in the parliamentary hall and forced out of the House of Government building. Many prominent intellectuals, including Vasil Bykau, stood against the referendum.

The referendum 1995 was set with violation of the Constitution, laws and rules of the Supreme Council.

The referendum 1995 disagreed with the Constitution, which was announced at the discussion in the Supreme Council.