BPF members held meeting in Minsk

Some party activists, including the former leaders of the BPF party didn’t take part in the meeting.

The result of the meeting on May 29 was a decision to nominee party activist from Shklou Ryhor Kastusyou as a presidential candidate. 150 delegates voted in favour of Kastusyou, 13 voted against.

The former party leaders, Lyavon Barshcheuski, Vintsuk Vyachorka, and head of the BPF Minsk branch Viktar Ivashkevich didn’t attend the event. They said composition formation for the special meeting violated the party’s rules.

“The meeting was attended by those party members who sympathize the For Freedom movement and have double membership. They have the right to hold meetings, but other party members have this right, too. This meeting can’t be called a session, because it wasn’t attended by famous people, authors of the Front’s programme, those who represented the Front in the parliament, those who create the real image of the BPF. So, this event cannot be called a session,” Lyavon Barshcheuski, one of the BPF’s founders, told in an interview to Radio Svaboda.

According to Barshcheuski, the BPF organized a similar meeting last year, which could be attended by everyone. “We discussed the same issues – the party’s strategy during the presidential elections. As we couldn’t take any decisions, we adopted recommendations. I don’t think it was necessary to hold a meting again. It looks like a rift, but we don’t want our party to split,” Lyavon Barshcheuski said.

“Unfortunately, the party’s leadership didn’t take a neutral stance, but joined one of the groups. It doesn’t demonstrate political wisdom of the leadership,” the politician said.