BPF Press-Release 21.04.2000

On April 19, Mr. Mark A. Thiessen and Mr. Ian J. Brzezinski (members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations) arrived to Minsk for a non-official visit. Mr. Ian Brzezinski is a son of Mr. Zbignew Brzezinski, a famous American political analyst and former advisor to the US President.

On April 20 the American guests met with the BPF Chairman Mr. Vincuk Viacorka and his deputy Mr. Viacaslau Siucyk. During their extensive conversation, the BPF leaders expressed their high regard of the draft of the US Senate resolution on Belarus, which has already received the Foreign Relations committee's approval. Other points that the discussion concentrated on were the opposition's political negotiations with Lukashenka's regime as well as its demand to Russia to abandon any attempts to re-integrate Belarus and end support to Lukashenka's regime.

While familiarising themselves with the political situation in Belarus, the Senate members commented that it was their pleasant surprise to see that high degree of consolidation amongst the Belarus opposition, united by the goal of a democratic Belarus integrated in the community of the Western nations. During the conversation, Mr Viacorka also recalled his meeting with Mr Zbignew Brzezinski in December, when the critical role of Belarus for the regional stability was examined.

The Press Group of the BPF "Adradzennie" and Party of BPF.
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BPF Press-Release 05.05.2000

On May 5 Mr. Vincuk Viacorka, the Chairman of the BPF, and his deputy Mr. Jury Chadyka met with the OSCE «Euro-Troika» delegation in Minsk in the course of the delegation's conference with of the Consultative Council of Political Parties of Opposition (CCPPO) of Belarus.

It is worthwhile remembering that this visit by the OSCE delegation, which consists of the Political Department Director  of Austria's Foreign Office (Mr. Walter Siegel), the General Director of the Political Department of Norway's Foreign Office, and the Director on Political Issues of Romania's Foreign Ministry (Mr. Constantinescu), had been postponed due to the unprecedented provocative actions of Belarus' regime in March this year. Also, this visit is taking place after the sharply critical resolution by the US Congress on Belarus.

Also on May 5 the Euro-Troika delegation had a meeting with the representatives of the Co-ordinating Council of Political Parties of Opposition, as well as participated in a round table with the CCPPO and the government's representatives. Mr. Viacorka (BPF Chairman) called for the preservation of the present format of the bilateral negotiations, that is  between the government and the opposition under the  mediation of the OSCE: «The so-called «broad dialogue» is nothing but an attempt by the regime to proceed with its self-legitimisation, as well as with the surrender of Belarus's independence and outrageous reduction  of the role of the OSCE Advisory-Monitoring Group».

The position of this OSCE delegation in Belarus has bow been formulated much more clearly than during the previous "Troika" visit. Now it confirms that only the fulfillment of all the following components of a possible agreement between the government and the opposition will enable the recognition of the elections as democratic by Western states. This includes adopting a democratic electoral law, the restoration of the parliament's powers, opening of access to mass-media, and the improvement of Belarus's political climate. As Mr. Walter Siegl stated, «if the opposition is not a part of the dialogue, that is no dialogue. The format of the political dialogue should be acceptable for the opposition.»

The  last year the opposition agreed on such a format for the dialogue, according to which the preconditions should be fulfilled before the negotiations, during which the powers of the future parliament and the electoral law would be finally defined, may take place. It sees no other acceptable alternatives.

«It is important that Mr Siegl confirmed the compulsory nature of all the four preconditions to the negotiations. This Europe's choice is a chance not to allow Lukashenka's regime to strengthen itself or destroy Belarus's independence this autumn,» commented Mr. Viacorka, BPF Chairman. The "Troika" delegation also considered the possibility of postponing the elections to spring 2001.

BPF Press-group (press@cscsc.lingvo.minsk.by)
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(Charter-97 News, May 20, http://www.svaboda.com/Charter97/English/default.asp)

BPF Chair Vintsuk Vyachorka [Vincuk Viacorka] was on a visit to London May 14-19 upon the official invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  He paid a visit to the House of commons of the British parliament, where he held meetings with the leading parties. They discussed Belarus democratic potential, possibilities to protect its independence from Russia and setting up of the Britain-Belarus deputies' club. Issues of the cooperation of the parties were dealt with at the meeting in the foreign office of the Conservative party. Vyachorka [Viacorka] also met the Baroness of Scotland, deputy Foreign Minister, the East department of the Foreign Ministry. It has been for the very first time in recent past that Belarusians were invited to Great Britain on such a high level. BPF Chair held conversations with the editors of the international news departments of the British leading periodicals - The Sunday Times, The Financial Times and The Guardian. In the BBC World Service Vyachorka [Viacorka] met with heads of the departments and national services. Afterwards, BPF Chair set off for Washington to join the rest of the Belarusian delegation, currently on official visit tour in the US.

 (Charter-97 News June 1, http://www.svaboda.com/Charter97/English/default.asp)

Commissioners Outraged Over Lukashenka Threats Against Belarusian Opposition Leaders

     Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
     Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Chairman
     Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Co-Chairman

     June 1, 2000

     Commission on Security and Cooperation Chairman Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) and Co-Chairman Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) today condemned remarks by Belarusian dictator Alaksandr Lukashenka threatening to punish the Belarusian opposition for "seeking money overseas" to overthrow his government and viewing them as security threats. His remarks come on the heels of last week's visit to the U.S. by leading members of Belarus' democratic opposition.

     The Belarusian opposition delegation, which met with Members of Congress, including Helsinki Commissioners, government officials and non-governmental organizations, consisted of Vintsuk Vyachorka [Vincuk Viacorka], head of the Belarusian Popular Front; Anatol Lebedka [Anatol LabiedZka], head of the United Civic Party; Pavel Zhuk [Paval Zuk], chief editor of "Nasha Svaboda," [Nasa Svaboda] an independent newspaper; and Dmitry Bondarenko [Dzmitry Bandarenka], a leader of the Charter-97 human rights group.

     Mr. Lebedka, who is also a member of Belarus' legitimate parliament illegally disbanded by Lukashenka in 1996, recently testified at a Helsinki Commission hearing on the deterioration of human rights and democracy in Belarus.  "Lukashenka's latest outburst is yet another in a long list of threats or worse - including detentions or beatings - against those who dare to question his democratic legitimacy and criticize his suppression of human rights in their long-suffering country," said Chairman Smith.

     "Opposition leaders have disappeared or been imprisoned, and the independent media has been harassed. If Mr. Lukashenka wants to create a climate of trust for the Fall  parliamentary elections, as he apparently pledged to do yesterday, treating opposition members as security threats because of their meetings in Washington is outrageous."

     Co-Chairman Campbell expressed grave concern about the personal safety of opposition members, noting the detention and beating of Mr. Lebedka following a March 25 pro-democracy demonstration in the Belarusian capital of Miensk, which was harshly suppressed by the authorities.

     "Instead of making threats against democratic activists, Mr. Lukashenka should be seeking to resolve the political and constitutional crisis in Belarus by respecting human rights and putting an end to the current climate of fear," Campbell said. "This includes ceasing repressions of those who seek to bring democracy to Belarus. The democratic opposition in Belarus deserves both our moral and material support as they seek to overcome the legacy of communism and authoritarianism and build a democratic society firmly rooted in the  rule of law."

     Campbell stressed the ominous nature of the threats, given similar statements issued by Lukashenka prior to the disappearance of a leading opposition figure last year.

(Charter-97 News, June 5, http://www.svaboda.com/Charter97/English/default.asp)

An information group of the Minsk regional branch of the BPF "Revival" carried out June 4 a trip to the town of Zaslavl in order to inform local residents of their party's activities and also to learn about the town's needs. A couple of days prior to the visit, they forwarded a message to the town hall, stating that this would in no wise be a "meeting, protest, picket or rally", so no official permission is necessary.   The group, made up of Jurao Zienkovic, Siarhiej Abakuncyk and Aleh Skarabahatau, arrived in town at around 5 p.m. and started their roundabout, when all of a sudden they were stopped by the law-enforcers and driven to the near-by police station. Deputy sheriff of Zaslavl police Mikhail Andryianov told BPF people that they violated the law on mass assemblies, after which the concomitant protocols were filed. Lieutenants Erosevic and Mokritski, who were in charge of the protocol thing, noted that the case isn't likely to travel over to court, as far as the detention had been conducted before anything got started. Police were acting upon the town hall's order. At around 7 p.m. all the detainees were set free.

BPF Press-Release  17.06.2000

On June 16 2000  Mr. Vincuk Viacorka met with Mr Siamion Sarecki (Sharetski) in Vilnius. The BPF Chairman and the Speaker of the Supreme Soviet of 13th Convocation (Parliament) of Belarus  discussed the current political situation in Belarus.

During the meeting they reached a general agreement on the attitude to the supposed regime-organised elections. According to the two politicians, in the present  situation in Belarus is such that  no democratic elections are possible. The campaign that Lukashenka plans to organise in the autumn will be merely a  farce and no elections.

They also discussed the public and political initiatives currently advanced in Belarus. They agreed on the necessity for any such initiatives to remain in line with the existing legislation and to be co-ordinated with the legitimate legislature body of Belarus, i.e. the Supreme Soviet of the 13th Convocation.

The BPF Press-Group.
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