Ministry declines the request to register association of veterans of Chernobyl tragedy consequences elimination :: Charter'97 :: News

The Ministry of Justice declined the request to register the republican public association of veterans and disabled of the Chernobyl tragedy consequences elimination “Likvidator” (“Liquidator”). As Aliaksandar Valchanin who has launched the idea of creation of the association told BelaPAN, he found out about the refusal from a letter of head of public associations department of the Ministry of Justice Aleg Slizheuski, on July 3. “And that was him who assured European politicians in Geneva that in Belarus there were no problems with registration for public associations,” - A.Valchanin emphasized.

According to Valchanin, the Ministry of Justice declined the request since the list of potential members of the association included those who had not taken part in the elimination of the Chernobyl tragedy consequences. “They mean the veterans’ relatives who are eager to work in our association. I have consulted Slizheuski on this matter and he had no objections to the participation of the veterans’ relatives in the association’s activity, which is reflected in the charter,” - A.Valchanin remarked.

A.Valchanin said he had had a meeting with president of the Ukrainian public organization “Soyuz-Chernobyl” (“Chernobyl Union”) Yuri Andreyev and his assistant, major-general Anatoly Vovk, on July 3, in Kyiv. “They have addressed the Belarusian Ambassador for Ukraine and Belarus’ Minster of Justice with a written statement recognizing the constituent session of our association legitimate, and claiming willingness to work with the Belarusian colleagues and to fight for their rights. Moreover, the management of the public organization “Soyuz-Chernobyl” plans to inform Ukraine’s powers on the situation with “Likvidator”,” - A.Valchanin said.

According to him, the organization committee is to negotiate with those Belarusian officials who do not reject it. The registration is to take place in Ukraine.

We shall remind that the constituent session of the association took place May 19, in Minsk; the delegates spoke for the dialogue with the powers and offered their help in establishing international relations in the elimination of the Chernobyl tragedy consequences. More than a thousand of civil and military veterans, including doctors, police officers, drivers and rescuers from different regions of the country, stated they were ready to join the association. Today in Belarus there are 11.200 disabled veterans and 115.000 citizens who took part in the elimination of the Chernobyl tragedy consequences.