Anatoly Lyabedzka: PACE won’t trade values

Despite the thaw in the relations between the EU and Lukashenka, it would be difficult for “the chamber” to get a status of a full member.

Today information was received that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is set to renew cooperation with the Belarusian “Parliament.” The chairman of the United Civil Party Anatoly Lyabedzka told charter97.org that though it’s been long since Europe had been allowing Belarusian “MPs” to take part in the summer sessions of the PACE, it is possible that “the chamber of representatives” won’t get the official full status at the PACE.

“The chamber” had been working in the format of the PACE since 2000. “Deputies”, who had not been elected by anyone, come to the summer session and work on behalf of the Belarusian nation.

But at the same time, I would not like to be in a hurry saying that “the chamber” is going to receive a full status at the PACE in the short term. The path is going to be much more difficult. An entire package of requirements in the Statute of the Assembly exists.

A political decision could be passed certainly, and the deputies who had not been elected by anyone, could be brought into the PACE by the back door. But it is a dead end. We just had a discussion about that with Andrea Rigoni today. I think that despite the new trend and liberalization towards Lukashenka’s regime, there are still many deputies in the PACE who understand that values are something more significant and weighty in the long run, and would not trade it,” the politician said.

We remind that no “election” in Belarus held after 1995 was recognized by democratic countries and international organisations as legal because of rigged election results and violations committed by the authorities of the country.