Entrepreneurs to Continue a 'Siege' of Administrations

The government's inaction makes entrepreneurs to protest.

Another forum of entrepreneurs was held on February 1 in Beijing Hotel of Minsk. Individual entrepreneurs (IEs) did not get any answers on a come-back of small business to markets and shopping centers in the country.

At the meeting organized by ROO Perspective IEs required negotiations with Aliaksandr Lukashenka "for an objective assessment of the situation and working out of constructive solutions, and they also decided to hold a rally on February 15, Banhalor Square, Minsk.

Vyachyslau Pilipuk, Deputy Chairman of the Council of ROO Perspective, informed EuroBelarus about the number of participants of the forum that prove sentiments of entrepreneurs.

- On January 11 there were 1.700 participants, this time 2.400 people have been registered and about 500 people came without registration. It is clear that the IEs' spring of discontent is even more compressed, protest sentiments are getting stronger. It is the second round when people in the regions take visits to district and city executive committees asking about non-feasance.

Vyachyslau Pilipuk says that IEs now are going to stand next to city administration once in three days. If "authorities keep silence, they will come there every day."

- It is clear that protest sentiments are getting stronger. Calls to take the Square are heard. Now we observe mini-Squares across the country. Let's see what is to happen on February 15 in Minsk. People's intention for well consolidated actions is increasing.

The decision on Banhalor rally (far from the city center) is taken "because we'd like us not to be twitted with absence of legal forms of protests taken earlier.

- Our government will state later that entrepreneurs took illegal actions, when we were ready to provide a place for their protest. So, we will act within the law, unless we run out of road. Then we will study sentiments of people and their level to take responsibility on. If the problem with work is negative, protests will continue. And there'll be a moment when an extremely compressed string flies back.

Vyachyslau Pilipuk notes that "there is no dialogue between the government and IEs."

- There were more bureaucrats at the forum that at the previous one. The reason is that representatives of European Embassies in Belarus were invited as well. The government decided not to ignore the forum. On February 15 the issue on sanctions on Belarus to be considered, the government has to define its readiness to talk.