Alyaksandr Milinkevich refuses to participate in Congress :: Charter'97 :: News

Leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich announced his refusal to participate in Congress of the democratic forces, which is to take place in Minsk in March this year. According to Milinkevich, the Congress is to take place in a month but still no consolidated viewpoints have been worked out either on its contents or on its aims and some of the parties’ leaders instead of organizing the joint work have started internal rows. ”I can’t any longer remain the hostage of this situation. I don’t want all the potential of the democratic forces to get drowned in the competition of leaders of the parties. For this reason I announce my refusal to participate in Congress because the Congress can result only in fragmentation of the democratic forces”, announced the leader of the opposition and called the democratic forces to concentrate on preparing to the Belarusian Day of Freedom on March 25.

Here is the text of Milinkevich’s appeal.

Dear friends,

In October 2005 the Congress of the democratic forces elected me as a single candidate for the presidency in Belarus. Due to the consolidation of thousands of courageous committed citizens of Belarus we conducted a successful political campaign, gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures, met with the electorate in the majority of the country’s areas. Many people got rid of fear and apathy despite that the authorities had imprisoned over a thousand people. Hundreds of students were expelled from the universities, many employees were fired for ‘political” reasons. Though the regime had survived we were thought to be the winners by many people. Millions of our voters chose the alternative values “Freedom, Truth, Justice”.

Nowadays nobody in the world doubts that the Belarusians are the people who deserve freedom and are ready to struggle for freedom.

I was sure that after the elections we would continue the joint work in the coalition because only joint efforts can lead to the victory. Moreover, I felt then and I feel now a great support and expectation of our countrymen. And they want to have a consolidated strategy, common headquarters and common leader.

However, no consolidation has occurred. Political Council of the democratic forces failed to realize its consolidating mission. Half year had been spent on approving the plan of activities and when at last it had been adopted the Council failed to organize the executive committee for its implementation. Instead of organizing the joint work some party leaders started to fight for the leadership and many months’ preparation for the Congress. Many activists had so deeply gone in for fighting for the place in the Congress that forgot their main task -working with people-even in the course of local elections.

Unfortunately the primary arrangements were annulled, procedures of congress delegates’ election were changed and certain manipulations with signatures sharply increased the tension inside the coalition, especially in the regions.

I am for the democratic forces, I am for the congress, but for the congress summoned according to the transparent and adjusted procedures and broadly represented. I am ready to participate in the Congress if the leader of the consolidated democratic forces elected at the Congress will be fully entitled to organize effective activities.

The Congress is to take place in a month but still there are no adjusted positions on its contents and aims. The Political Council has recently made the decision that there is no need in any single leader. This fact throws us several years back in constructing the alternative to the existing regime. All party leaders, in turn, will become leaders for the period of several months.

I can’t any longer remain the hostage of this situation. I don’t want all the potential of the democratic forces to get drowned in the competition of leaders of the parties

For this reason I announce my refusal to participate in the Congress because the Congress may result only in fragmentation of the democratic forces.

Today all our efforts should be directed at preparing to the Belarusian Day of Freedom on March 25.