Belarusan Popular Front (BPF) "Adradzennie" [Adradzhennye] and the Party of BPF are a broad cultural movement and a political party, closely integrated, of the newly independent Republic of Belarus, a former republic of the Soviet Union. The organizational committee of the BPF was established in October 1988 by intellectuals such as Vasil Bykau, Mikhas Dubianyetski, Zianon Paznyak and others. The governing organization, the Soim, was formed during the Front's first congress in June 1989. At the same time, the organization's charter was adopted which specified BPF's dual objective: the attainment of democracy and independence through national rebirth and rebirth of civil society, which was destroyed by communism and foreign occupation. Zianon Paznyak was elected Chair of the Soim. He is a well known historian and archeologist who defended the Belarusan culture and language in the years of communist tyranny. Among his accomplishments are the excavations in the forest region of Kurapaty on the outskirts of Mensk (Minsk) where communists had killed more than 250,000 people from 1925 to 1941.

At the moment, all of the democratic parties are relatively small and largely unknown to the broader public. Since 1989, the BPF has remained the main political force behind democratic and market reforms, as well as of the democratic opposition to the neo-Soviet dictatorial regime in Belarus since 1995.

   BPF Goals and Policies
The BPF is fighting for the development of Belarus as an independent, democratic, neutral state, which has good relations with all nations. But we are against "special ties" with gigantic Russia and the strengthening of the semi-colonial status advocated by the communist rulers of Belarus. Cooperation with the Central European States of the Baltic and Black Sea regions, which have a similar mentality, historical experience, and problems of economic and political nature alike, could be the unique hope for a speedy integration with pan-European and organizations.

The BPF actively supports the granting of cultural autonomy to ethnic minorities. But in this respect the main problem in Belarus is the terrible state of the Belarusan national language and culture after about 200 years of colonialism and russification. The most important achievement of the BPF is the public's change of attitude toward the Belarusan language, which is no longer considered the language of the countryside, and the progress of the Belarusan school, achieved despite the strong resistance of the state apparatus. A reborn, nationally conscious, and cultured nation is capable of understanding the national and cultural aspirations of other ethnic communities living on its territory.

For the world, Chernobyl is a fading memory, but not for Belarus. Though the nuclear plant is situated in Ukraine, 70% of its radioactive materials fell on neighbouring Belarus. 2.5 million people still live in the contaminated areas. For three years after the catastrophe the truth about the disaster was suppressed by the communist leadership.

Since April 1989, the BPF has organized many mass protest actions and scientific conferences to complain about the government's criminal failure to help the population. BPF organized the first international assistance and informed the world about the tragedy in Belarus. BPF specialists have prepared plans to mitigate the consequences of this accident which threaten to destroy the Belarusan people and culture.

In July 1994 an alternative "shadow" cabinet was formed from a group of more than 100 Belarusan intellectuals and specialists who supported BPF policies. Uladzimir Zablocki, a well known economist and MP, became the first alternative Prime Minister. The "shadow" cabinet, originally containing 18 commissions, publishes proposed laws, initiatives, judgements, ideas, and opinions. The economists of the BPF have proposed plans for fundamental reforms including fair privatization, liberalization of wages, anti-inflationary measures, and restructuring of industry and agriculture. The latest version of BPF's economic reform concept was developed and published in the end of 1999.

  BPF Recent Political History
The BPF "Adradzennie" Charter opens its membership to citizens of Belarus as well as all democratic organizations including political parties and trade unions. The Party of BPF exists as the political nucleus of the BPF "Adradzennie" movement. Democratic trade unions of Belarus have cooperated with BPF from the first days of the April 1991 strikes. About 10,000 people work with BPF as volunteer leaders, messengers, experts, and newspaper distributors in all regions of Belarus. About 1,000,000 people voted for BPF's candidates in the 1990 parliamentary elections and in the 1994 presidential elections. In Gorbachev's referendum in March 1991, about 960,000 people cast votes against the proposed new Soviet "union treaty." In March 1992 BPF collected in a short time 460,000 signatures demanding the referendum concerning the dissolution of the communist dominated Supreme Soviet of Belarus and the preliminary elections. These people are a vast support for the BPF.

The elections in 1990 were free only to a limited extent. In spite of the mass campaign of lies against BPF, Pazniak and 36 other BPF candidates were elected to the Supreme Soviet of Belarus. As a minority, BPF was restricted to using parliament as a medium to address the nation. BPF associates have proposed and introduced dozens of legislative actions while the communist majority has done nothing.

Under pressure from the demonstrations in support of BPF's deputies after the collapse of the USSR in August 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Belarus approved the Act of Independence and of the suspension of the activities of communist organizations and replaced the communist state symbols with the Belarusan national symbols. The goal of the BPF was attained. But after the first shock, the communist government and the majority in central and local administration continued their anti-national and anti-reformist policies.

Since the presidential elections of summer 1994, power in Belarus has been increasingly concentrated and abused by President Alaksandar Lukashenka (Lukasenka). His neo-Soviet regime has gradually destroyed all the achievements of the reforms of early 1990s, crushing the first shoots of a market economy and civil society, and pushing for Belarus' re-integration into Russia. As the largest democratic force in the country, the Belarusan Popular Front has constantly taken its stand at the forefront of the struggle for democracy, constitutional order, human rights, and the preservation of the country's independence.

When the series of mass street protests in spring 1996 ended in a major crackdown on the opposition by Lukashenka's security forces, several BPF leaders and dozens of supporters were jailed while Mr. Pazniak and Mr. Navumcyk (BPF press secretary) left the country and were granted political asylum in the United States. In autumn 1996 Mr. Lukashenka staged a constitutional coup and dissolved the legitimate parliament. Although the term of office for which he was elected expired in July 1999, he did not relinquish office but has remained in power. The BPF's condemnation of the Lukashenka regime has made it a major target of political repression. Over the past few years hundreds of BPF activists have been arrested, prosecuted and jailed on spurious charges, and suffered other forms of political harassment.

Although, since 1996, Mr. Pazniak has been living in exile, he retained his position of BPF Chairman until 1999. However, it became increasingly obvious, as the BPF "Adradzennie" restructured itself to operate under the new conditions in Belarus, that the structure, content, and style of its leadership must be changed. In October 1999 the VI Congress of the BPF elected Mr. Vincuk Viacorka (formerly Deputy Chairman) as the new Chairman. However, one faction of the BPF membership disagreed with the change of the leadership and established a separate "Conservative-Christian Party of the BPF", electing Mr.  Pazniak as its Chairman.

Under Mr. Viacorka's new leadership, the Belarusan Popular Front "Adradzennie" has emphasized the need for a more dynamic and assertive style for the BPF to cope with the new situation, as well as the necessity for closer coordination between the BPF and other democratic political parties, NGOs and trade unions within Belarus as well as abroad.

Since 1999 the BPF "Adradzennie" has been actively coordinating with the allied Belarusan forces of the opposition, in the framework of the Coordinating Council of the Democratic Forces, which unites the country's democratic political parties and trade unions. In autumn 2000 the BPF played a major role in the national campaign of boycott of the unfree and undemocratic "parliamentary elections" to the illegitimate and powerless "Chamber" of Mr. Lukashenka. Committed to peaceful means to end the dictatorship, the BPF "Adradzennie" and the Party of BPF are allied with other democratic forces in Belarus in supporting a single candidate from the united opposition for the presidential elections in Belarus, expected in autumn 2001.

Banner of the Belarusan Popular Front

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Date of internet release: 29 Dec 2000