Party Members Preparing Referendum :: Charter'97 :: News

On June 21 in the headquarters of the Belarusian popular Front a meeting of the initiative group for carrying out a city referendum of a “binding character” was held. About 100 persons, mostly representatives of the Belarusian Popular Front Party, the United Civil Party and the Party of Belarusian Communists have taken part in it. The issue of the referendum should be the question of returning names to two central avenues of Minsk, Skaryna and Masherau Avenues. On May 7 by the decree of Alyaksandr Lukashenka they were renamed Independence and Victor’s Avenues.

As the leader of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Vintsuk Vyachorka told, this decision of the head of state caused indignation of Minsk citizens. “Only authorities that do not respect their own people could make such decision without considering the opinion of people”, he told. As aid by him, by demanding to return earlier names to the streets, members of the referendum initiative group advocates “redressing an injustice and returning historical truth”.

Deputy chairman of the UCP leader, Syarhei Alfer, was elected the head of the initiative group. Ten people (three representatives from the PBC, UCP and BPF) are to coordinate this process in the districts of the capital. It is supposed that more than 150 people are to become members of the initiative group.

Within a week members of the initiative group are to witness their applications notarially and to pass them to the head of the group. After that the documents of the meeting are to be submitted to Minsk executive committee.