Justice Ministry Warning to three Oppositional Parties :: Charter'97 :: News

Today justice ministry submitted a warning to the BNF Party, to the "Zyalioniya" (Green) Belarusian Party and Belarusian Socio-Democratic Party (Gramada).According to the declaration of the justice ministry , it is stipulated by the law that the political parties must have the Minsk city structure and regional structures in no less than four regions.

The justice ministry declares that despite of the warnings and requirements the above-mentioned parties have not created the required number of organizational structures, yet. If they continue ignoring the law, the issue may be raised on suspension of their activities or on their termination by the court judgment.

The BNF Party objects the justice ministry‘s resolution. “We regard the fact from the political and not legal viewpoint. I think the preparation for parliamentary elections is underway. We attempted to register our organizational structures in the Rhonda and Homely regions but the local authorities put pressure upon the premises owners and we could not provide the domiciles .Thus, it is as if in the “vicious circle” -they demand registration and at the same time interfere with it. The given warning totally complies with the authorities’ strategy of political campaigns. On the eve of the parliamentary elections of 2004 the public organizations and human rights centers were terminated. The same thing happened in 2001. This time the first signal was given by terminating activities of the Party of Communists Belarusian. Now the turn of other three parties has come “, Uladzimir Labkovich, chairman of the legal commission of the BNF Party, declared to the Charter’97 press- service.

Over 2006-2007 period that is the third warning made to the BNF Party and the party faces the real threat of its termination.