Milinkevich asks national broadcasting company for live TV debate on Chernobyl aftermath :: Charter'97 :: News

Opposition politician Alyaksandr Milinkevich has asked the Belarusian State Television and Radio Company (BSTRC) to arrange a live TV debate on the aftermath of Chernobyl and invite him, experts and Chernobyl cleanup workers to take part in it.

He suggested arranging the debate on Channel One (Belarusian Television) on April 25, the anniversary of the nuclear accident.

He sent the request to the head of the BSTRC, Alyaksandr Zimowski, on Thursday.

The former presidential candidate said that there were "serious grounds for assuming" that the authorities concealed many problems facing Chernobyl cleanup workers, people residing in Chernobyl-affected areas and other Belarusian citizens who he noted had to consume radioactively contaminated food because of the government`s policy.

He went on to say that the government`s social and economic policy failed to efficiently tackle the problems and prevented the country from obtaining more international assistance in Chernobyl relief effort.

Under Belarusian regulations, Mr. Zimowski has 15 days to reply as the request does not require some additional check, said the opposition politician`s press office.