TIME TO UNITE! :: Charter'97 :: News

At today’s press-conference in Minsk they announced the formation of the organizing committee on holding the national rally People’s March “For Better Life!”, scheduled for March 12, 2003. As is known, originally they planned to hold it last fall. Then the initiative on its implementation has been voiced by a group of public figures – economist Ludmila Gryaznova, filmmaker Yuri Khaschevatsky, historian Valentin Golubev, journalist Valery Schukin and diplomat Andrei Sannikov. Later they changed their mind and moved it to the year 2003. Today the People’s March idea was discussed by the co-chairman of the public association “Private property” Leonid Malakhov, chairman of the Striking committee of entrepreneurs Valery Levonevsky , Charter’97 civil initiative’s coordinator Dmitry Bondarenko, ZUBR coordinator Vladimir Kobets, freelance journalist Vladimir Dzuba and one of the leaders of the democratic coalition of Borisov Leonid Novitsky. All of them were included into the People’s March organizing committee, though there still continue negotiations with country’s various public organizations and political structures on the concerted implementation of action.

As pinpointed at the press-conference by the Charter’97 civil initiative’s coordinator Dmitry Bondarenko, today they can state with all assuredness that the forthcoming action will be of countrywide dimension and will consist of the following stages:

- rally in central capital on March 12

- national entrepreneurs’ strike

- protest actions in the Belarusian regions.

It is planned that March 12 action will encompass no less than 30 Belarusian towns.

People’s March “For Better Life!” will be actively upheld by the Belarusian entrepreneurs. Chairman of the entrepreneurial Striking committee of Belarus Valery Levonevsky said that March 12 action would attract no less than 100,000 businessmen throughout the country. On the same very day they will announce a national one-day strike of entrepreneurs.

- Belarusian entrepreneurs decided to become the organizers of the action. We believe it is high time that we held joint actions, for, as you know, up until now we held our actions separately: businessmen by themselves and other structures on their own. Now we should join our efforts, - said the chairman of the Striking committee.

Representative of another entrepreneurial structure “Private property” Leonid Malakhov also said they should waste no more time and act as one solid force.

- There are 200,000 entrepreneurs in Belarus and they represent real power. They are also backed by their families and relatives. Today entrepreneurs are willing to work and pay taxes, rather than fines and bribes. Regrettably, the year 2002 saw real war, unleashed against entrepreneurs. Over the past year they ruined thousands of entrepreneurs, while leaders of the entrepreneurial movement were subject to arrests and intimidations. Meantime, the nation’s impoverishment continued. There sharply fell people’s purchasing capacity. If previously the entrepreneurs believed that their main scourge is unsophisticated legislation then today they name poverty as the main root-cause of their misfortunes. In business things are pretty much like in nature: if there are no clouds in the sky there will be no rain; if people have no money, nobody will purchase our goods and services.

In course of the year 2002 entrepreneurs kept on struggling for their rights. The actions of protest were followed by round tables with the authorities. We organized dozens of meetings with the officials of different rank, even the top ones. At the moment we harbor no more illusions. Now we realize pretty well that Belarusian entrepreneurs are simply taken hostage by one individual, so we no longer divide ourselves according to the forms of struggle. The best proof of that is the fact that Valery Levonevsky and I sit next to each other at one table. Time has come to join our efforts in our struggle for better life. We will achieve that only if we remain united. We will attain our goal not until we act in one front, - underscored Leonid Malakhov.

Journalist Vladimir Dzuba mentioned catastrophic condition of independent journalism in Belarus, which is put by the authorities on the verge of extinction. According to him, all Belarusian independent journalists must consolidate in a fight for their rights.

- Nobody will make our lives better for us. In course of the past eight years we have been feeling strong pressure on part of the authorities. During the past year eleven independent newspapers went shut for various reasons. Independent medias were exposed to economic, political and legal discrimination. In first turn, they put us in unequal economic conditions, levying too high prices for using state publishing house facilities, office rent and high cost of free press distribution. Today it is extremely tough for a journalist to find employment. It is next to impossible to register the new edition today neither in Minsk, nor regionally. Up until now we remain unaware of the whereabouts of our missing colleague Dmitry Zavadsky, who disappeared in 2000. Our colleagues Viktor Ivashkevich, Pavel Mozheiko and Nikolai Markevich are serving involuntary labor terms for executing their professional duties. At the moment the state needs controllable press, lackeys in journalism and the nation which would be both blind and deaf. But I’m convinced that they will never get what they want,” – said the journalist.

One of the leaders of the democratic coalition from Borisov Leonid Novitsky concentrated on the disastrous state of affairs in the regions:

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- In the regions we feel economic crisis better than in the capital. Open and hidden unemployment; plants and factories’ sending their workers to unpaid vacations; many switching to a four-day working week; rise in apartment rents and municipal payments, which drives people into a corner. Buying fruits for the children is now considered a luxury, which can’t be afforded by many. One can buy only the cheapest medications, which are, of course, least effective. People’s condition is turning critical. And so we determined to actively support the action.

ZUBR coordinator Vladimir Kobets also expressed readiness to actively engage in the People’s March “For Better Life!” According to him, the action will be upheld by all regional organizations of the ZUBR movement. Resistance activists will take part in the rally in central Minsk, as well as stage protest actions in their native towns.

Vladimir_Kobets

Nine years have been erased from the life of our nation and our country. Lukashenko has been boasting for all these nine years that our life will become better one day. However, as a result the nation became totally impoverished. “He Must Go!” is a call of the campaign, organized today by ZUBR. It is time that the regime answers for its words and acts. If they can’t do it right away, they should leave their posts at once.

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