Representatives of six opposition parties meet with deputy justice minister to discuss problem of party cells` location :: Charter'97 :: News

Representatives of six opposition parties met with Oleg Kravtsov, deputy minister of justice, on February 22 to discuss the ministry`s directive that all parties should relocate their cells from residential to office buildings.

The deadline for meeting the requirement expired on February 1. Last week the ministry started sending warnings to parties that missed the relocation deadline.

Parties suggest that the directive should not apply to the party cells registered before it was issued, Sergei Alfer, deputy chairman of the United Civic Party, told BelaPAN.

"We also pointed out to the official that the Ministry of Justice prefered to use punitive measures, whereas the Constitution and the Political Parties Law oblige it to help the development of parties," Mr. Alfer said while commenting on the meeting.

According to him, Mr. Kravtsov promised to report the parties` suggestions to Minister Viktor Golovanov. However, Mr. Alfer expressed the opinion that the meeting would hardly help solve the problem. The authorities had agreed to a meeting with party activists so that the latter would blow off steam, he said. If nothing changes in the next two weeks, the parties will file a joint appeal with the Supreme Court to contest the warnings that were issued by the justice ministry for the failure to meet the requirement, Mr. Alfer added.

Attending the meeting were representatives of the United Civic Party, the Belarusian Popular Front, the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada, the Belarusian Social Democratic Party "Narodnaya Hramada, the Belarusian Party of Communists, and the Belarusian Women`s Party "Nadzeya."