Anatol Lyabedzka: “There Should be Two Participants of Negotiations Process – Regime and Opposition” :: Charter'97 :: News

On April 17 the Belarusian delegation including the chairman of the Political Council of the Democratic Forces Alyaksandr Milinkevich, the chairman of the United Civil party Anatol Lyabedzka, the deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Hramada) Anatol Lyaukovich and a deputy chairman of the Party of Communists of Belarus Valery Ukhnalyou visited Strasbourg and took part in a session of a sub-committee on Belarus of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Belarusian democrats have met the leadership of the Council of Europe and the PACE. The leader of the UCP Anatol Lyabedzka who is still in Strasbourg tells the details of the visit to Strasbourg.

- We have received an invitation to visit the PACE session from the head of the sub-committee on Belarus Andres Herkel. The major events took place on April 17. They were the session of the PACE sub-committee on Belarus, and a press-conference with the participation of Rene van der Linden, a new Rapporteur of the PACE Subcommittee on Belarus Andrea Rigoni, the head of the subcommittee on Belarus Andres Herkel, Alyaksandr Milinkevich and me. Belarusian democrats also had a meeting with the PACE Rapporteur on Belarus Adrea Rigoni. It was his first meeting with the Belarusian opposition. Alyaksandr Milinkevich had a meeting with Terry Davis and Rene van der Linden.

Besides members of the sub-committee, Rene van der Linden and a great number of the PACE deputies representing different countries and factions of the Assembly took part in the session. I had definite goals, and I can say today that they have been achieved. I have handed the text of a “little constitution” and a covering letter personally the PACE chairman Rene van der Linden. The letter has been signed by me, Alyaksandr Milinkevich, Syarhei Kalyakin, Anatol Lyaukovich and other politicians and contains an appeal to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to make a legal review of the work prepared by Belarusian oppositional structures, and in particular, to receive an expert examination of Venice Commission. Its representatives are ready to carry out such examination. The second positive result is a decision to carry out a special international conference on Belarus with a participation of international structures, including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. This conference is to be held under the aegis of the European Union with a participation of a number of international organizations, the united democratic forces and the regime. There is only one question on the agenda, negotiation process in Belarus, would it take place or not? If yes, what issues are to be discussed and in which time frame? During the meeting with us, Mr. Rigoni has expressed interest to this initiative, and Rene van der Linden called the idea interesting as well.

-What is the result of the session of the sub-committee on Belarus?

- Members of the sub-committee have adopted a resolution welcoming the decisions promoting consolidation adopted by the conference in Vilnius. The situation in Belarus, political prisoners, trials over Young Front activists and Andrei Klimau were discussed at all levels. A call not to forget about resolutions on Belarus adopted by the PACe and its structures has been heard. Implementation of the demands of these resolutions should become the starting point for building relations with the Belarusian regime. Andrea Rigoni has already stated that he would study all documents on Belarus adopted earlier, in order to take them in consideration in his work. We have also recommended representatives of international organizations to visit Belarus not one by one, as Mr. Rigoni for instance had stated that he would be ready to arrive to Minsk in August. I recommended him to visit Belarus together with the Parliamentary Troika, including representatives of the European Parliament, the PACE and the PA OSCE.

- How does the PACE plan to build relations with the Belarusian regime?

- We have shared the position of the Political Council of the United Democratic Forces on the dialogue as a political process. Now we should define what the word “dialogue” means. For many Europeans it is just a communication, while for us the negotiation process has a concrete agenda, with discussion on issues which change the situation crucially. The proposed international conference means a dialogue of the regime and the opposition by the mediation of international structures. There should be two distinct participants of the negotiation process, the regime and the opposition. And international organizations are to perform functions of a moderator, an intermediary.

- Has a general message to Europeans been made by the Belarusian delegation?

- Certainly. Yesterday at the session of the subcommittee I spoke about the further strategy of the opposition on behalf of the united democratic forces. Documents we have handed over are signed by Milinkevich, me, Kalyakin, Lyaukovich and other leaders. After a break-through at the conference in Vilnius it was much easier for us to work together. We had a common position on all questions.