Party of Communists decides to stay in process irrespective of who will be selected as opposition`s presidential candidate :: Charter'97 :: News

The Belarusian Party of Communists (BPC) will continue to be involved in common pro-democratic efforts irrespective of who will be selected to be opposition groups` single candidate for the 2006 presidential race. A decision to this effect was made at a plenary meeting of the BPC Central Committee held in Minsk on September 25.

The main item on the meeting`s agenda was the party`s participation in the opposition`s presidential nomination conference, the National Congress of Pro-democratic Forces, scheduled to take place in Minsk on October 1 and 2. BPC leader Sergei Kalyakin is one of the contenders to the role of the single presidential candidate.

The delegates that will represent the BPC at the Congress have been charged with the task of exerting every effort to ensure the election of Mr. Kalyakin as the single candidate, Sergei Voznyak, the party`s spokesman, told BelaPAN.

However, the Central Committee decided that if another person was elected to be the single candidate, BPC representatives should become members of the Political Council of Pro-democratic Forces, the National Committee (shadow cabinet), and the single candidate`s main campaign office and campaign offices in the provinces.

The BPC leadership also decided to recommend that all contenders, who include, apart from Mr. Kalyakin, Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the United Civic Party; Stanislav Shushkevich of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada; and third-sector leader Aleksandr Milinkevich, should sign an agreement on the principles and mechanisms of cooperation between the single candidate and civil society.

In addition, according to Mr. Voznyak, the Central Committee approved a draft "Platform of Advocates of Changes." "This document outlines the future of Belarus in the event of the pro-democratic candidate`s victory in the presidential election," Mr. Voznyak said.

The Platform is to be adopted at the National Congress.