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Charter'97: Strategy of Civil Actions
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13/01/2005
The session of the Council of Civil Initiatives “Free Belarus” took place in Minsk on January 11. The representatives of civil initiatives “We Remember”, “Freedom to Political Prisoners!”, “Charter’97”, “Volat”, “Veterans For Democracy”, “National Strike Committee of Entrepreneurs”, “TERRA-Convention”, “Anti-fascist Action” took part in the meeting.
“It is obvious that the present regime would not allow carrying out democratic, fair and transparent elections in Belarus, and thus any election campaign could only provide an impulse to political transformations and economic reforms,” the statement summarizing the results of the session reads. “Belarus has come up to the moment when it is necessary for the democratic forces to work up a new efficient strategy that could lead to profound changes in the situation in the country”.
The participants of the council stated their intention “ to concentrate their efforts on development of an effective strategy of civil actions, on enforcement of civil rights and freedoms standards, on creation of an effective system of civil solidarity”.
Statement of the Council Of Civil Initiatives
“Free Belarus”
Today Europe has approached its new milestone, a complete liberation from totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. A new wave of democratic revolutions in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine has demonstrated unwillingness of these nations to live in the absence of freedom.
The existing Belarusian regime has created one of the cruelest machineries of civil rights suppression of the post-Soviet period. Belarus has become a country where the last dictatorship in Europe remains.
It is obvious that the present regime would not allow carrying out democratic, fair and transparent elections in Belarus, and thus any election campaign could only provide an impulse to political transformations and economic reforms.
We, representatives of the civil society of Belarus, declare:
Belarus has come up to the moment when it is necessary for the democratic forces to work up a new efficient strategy that could lead to profound changes in the situation in the country.
The Belarusian democratic opposition has to re-structure its forces. The political parties forming the European coalition and the People‘s Coalition “Five Plus”, should create a mechanism of unification and identification of political leaders of democratic forces, who are capable to fight for political power and to carry out political reform in the country.
The entities of civil society have to concentrate their efforts on development of an effective strategy of civil actions, on enforcement of civil rights and freedoms standards, on creation of an effective system of civil solidarity.
We address our fellow citizens:
We all are citizens of Belarus, and each of us wants to live in the European free, safe, stable and prosperous country.
Each of us is responsible before their children and grandchildren for what is going on our country, and for its future.
Each of us can help Belarus to return back to the path of democracy, devoting to this cause our energies and abilities.
Let’s stay together, and Belarus will become free!
On behalf of the civil initiative “We Remember”
Irina Krasovskaya and Svetlana Zavadskaya
On behalf of the civil initiative “Freedom to Political Prisoners!”
Igor Marinich and Pavel Marinich
On behalf of the National Strike Committee of Entrepreneurs
Uladzimir Levaneuski
On behalf of the civil initiative “Antifascist Action”
Yuri Khaschevatski
On behalf of the civil initiative “TERRA-Convention”
Valery Dranchuk
On behalf of the youth civil initiative “Volat”
Zmitser Barodka
On behalf of the civil initiative Charter’97
Andrei Sannikov and Zmicer Bandarenka
On behalf of the civil initiative “Veterans For Democracy”
Valery Schukin
Andrei Sannikov, who has signed the document on behalf of the civil initiative “Charter’97”, comments on the Statement of the Council and the results of its meeting:
“The period of elections and referendums has finished, and the strong and week points of the democratic forces of Belarus have become more evident. It has become obvious that without a serious re-structuring of the democratic community we cannot expect a breakthrough. To our mind, today it is necessary to discriminate between the political parties and civil society. And that is why we discussed this approach in the framework of the European coalition and stated that we are not making a claim for participation in the political spectrum; we are not going to create our party or to participate in any elections as candidates. Maybe because of misunderstanding of the civil society’s role on our part and on the part of political parties certain conflicts occurred during political campaigns in Belarus.
Today parties forming the European coalition has started a crucial process of talks with the coalition “Five Plus”, which is undoubtedly to be continued and should end in an actual union of democratic political parties. On our part in general we shall continue to be engaged in the same things we have been doing before. First of all, it is the defense of rights and freedoms of citizens of Belarus, reinforcement of solidarity within the civil society, educating activities. I think that such allocation of responsibilities between the subjects of democratic community of Belarus should have effect”.
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