Parties Face Liquidation Threat :: Charter'97 :: News

On February 1 the term given by the Justice Ministry to the political parties to transfer their branches from offices in living quarters to commercial and industrial premises. Oppositional parties failed to fulfil the demand of the Justice Ministry.

Almost all leaders of oppositional democratic parties think that, to their mind, the requirement of the Justice Ministry is illegal. The registration of party structures in residential premises was allowed by the law, and the law, according to the politicians, does not have a retroactive force.

The United Civil Party representatives tried to register their new branches in the regions, but the authorities rejected. The representatives of the Belarusian Popular Front Party also tried to follow the requirements of the Justice Ministry, but without result. According to the leader of the BPF Party Vintsuk Vyachorka, they could not find location in non-residential premises for the party offices. Moreover, in Hrodna, for instance, the authorities are evicting the regional branch of the BPF Party from non-residential premises saying that the house is very old and needs major repairs. The members of the Belarusian Social Democratic party “Narodnaya Hramada” also were not allowed to rent an office in any place. The same situation is in the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada.

These days the leaders of the oppositional parties sent to Justice Minister Viktar Halavanau a letter with a proposal to meet and to discuss this problem. There is no answer still.