Belarusian democrats: “Invitation of dictator to Prague summit is indulgence to his regime”
- 16.03.2009, 14:30
Belarusian politicians Alyaksandr Kazulin and Anatol Lyabedzka state that in case of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s being invited to the EU summit in Prague, Europe would depart from democratic values and human rights.
On March 16 a press-conference was held in Minsk. It was dedicated to the results of the trip of the former political prisoner, the former candidate for presidency Alyaksandr Kazulin and the chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka in Strasbourg and Vilnius. During their visit representatives of the Belarusian opposition discussed with European politicians the vision of the current situation in the relations of the EU and Belarus.
“When we arrived to Strasbourg, we saw that issues which concern the dialogue and invitation of Lukashenka to Prague on May 7, are already in the area of practical solution,” Alyaksandr Kazulin said. “The question emerges: what values are coming into our country now? Is there a dialogue between Belarus and the EU at all, as the talks between the Belarusian government and the EU are held behind the closed doors? Opposition should participate in the dialogue; otherwise it turns into a backstage trading.”
Alyaksandr Kazulin noted that the visit of the Belarusian dictator to the EU summit in Prague to become “ill-timed”, as it coincides with the evens in memory of protest demonstrations against Communistic regime of 1968 in the capital of Czechoslovakia. The politician also stated that invitation of the Belarusian ruler to the summit would mean granting “indulgence” to Lukashenka’s regime.
“For today in fact “canonizing” and recognition of the current regime in power are discussed,” Kazulin said. “During the visit to Strasbourg we asked a very simple question: is Lukashenka’s visit to Prague on May 7, on the day when Yury Zakharanka, a former Interior Minister, disappeared and according to trustworthy information, was assassinated, a well-thought-out and balanced policy of the European Union? Or does the EU underestimate serious moral factors which determine the dialogue? So what would dominate: dictatorship or democracy? Lukashenka was called the last dictator of Europe for 15 years. Has the situation changed so greatly over this half a year, and will the democracy capitulate fully? There isn’t a person who would speak against the dialogue. But no one who is a moral person could seek a dialogue by any means and ways. When we met with the president of the European Parliament Hans-Gerd Pöttering, we reminded him who he refused to go to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing. He refused on moral grounds. And we asked him: what had changed in out country considerably? Is there a motivation to grant indulgence to Lukashenka for all the past years? What is indulgence? It is when sins are absolved. But they are usually bought”.
Alyaksandr Kazulin notes that for the half a year period given by Europe to Belarusian authorities for holding democratic reforms, the situation in Belarus hasn’t changed.
“We have expressed concern that arrival of the EU High Representative Javier Solana took place against the background of mass political repressions, arrests, emergence of new political prisoners,” Alyaksandr Kazulin said. “We learnt with surprise that not all Europeans know that there are new political prisoners in Belarus. There is a resolution of the European Parliament according to which only absence of political prisoners and political repressions would be a factor when talks with the Belarusian authorities are possible. A few political prisoners have been released, but new ones have appeared for today. The Belarusian authorities do not have understanding that repressions are not a method of political dialogue. If two independent newspapers are given a possibility to be distributed in Belarus, 13 newspapers do not have such a possibility. Can Belarusian citizens receive trustworthy information in this situation?
The former candidate for presidency underlined that the dialogue between the EU and Belarus should be carried out openly.
“Lukashenka says: all or nothing, accept me into Europe the way I am, with all my drawbacks,” - Alyaksandr Kazulin said. “But what is a priority: European values, rights and freedoms of citizens or harsh economic business-interest? And it is possibly the theme discussed behind the closed doors. Lukashenka says for a reason that shares of all Belarusian enterprises are in his office in his personal strongbox. And when visits of high-ranking European officials are taking place behind the closed doors, great doubts arise: maybe our lives, freedom and European values are being traded”.
“During all the meetings and events, and there were about 20 of them, there were 3 questions on the agenda: dialogue, the sanctions, and the EU summit in Prague,” Anatol Lyabedzka said. “We see that there hasn’t been any internal political dialogue inside Belarus, and it is not taking place now. None of the political structures has integrated into the dialogue, has received an invitation for participation in it in this or that format. Today a dialogue of the official Minsk and the EU is taking place. It is an autonomous process. The formula imposed by Lukashenka on the EU is a dialogue without mediators, conditions and agenda. Such a position emasculates the essence of the dialogue. It is a dead-end track which gives no results. And we stated that at every meeting.”
Anatol Lyabedzka noted that during the meeting with European deputies the latter expressed great interest to the processes taking place in Belarus today.
“After our meetings MEPs took part in the hearings on Belarusian issue with participation of the European Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner,” the co-chairman of the UDF said. “The president of the European Parliament Hans-Gerd Pöttering planned to meet with the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and discuss the situation in Belarus with her, we plan to create a coalition of the EU countries that are standing on European moral principles concerning the Belarusian issue. Lithuania, Sweden, the Netherlands and the Great Britain can join it”.
At the same time Anatol Lyabedzka does not deny that many EU representatives view the dialogue with Lukashenka as a possibility to solve their pragmatic interests.
“Some European politicians look at Alyaksandr Lukashenka as at a guard of the gas pipe,” Lyabedzka said. “Some call it Realpolitik. But in such a case not five, but 15 political prisoners may appear in Belarusian prisons tomorrow. We want Europe to develop relations with Belarus basing on democratic values”.
As noted by Alyaksandr Kazulin, development of further dialogue of Belarus and the EU is to depend on arrival of the European Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner to Minsk. Her visit has been postponed from March 13 to the middle of April.
“The Belarusian TV disseminates information that Lyabedzka and Kazulin fled Minks not to meet with Benita Ferrero-Waldner, as they have nothing to say,” A. Kazulin said. “But in reality Lukashenka had nothing to say. During our visit to Europe we met with the European Commissioner, and we were greatly rejoiced by her clear and firm position in the issues of rights and freedoms of citizens, as well as on the situation in Belarus. Mrs Ferrero-Waldner stated clearly, that her visit to Minsk she will start with an address to the Belarusian press, where she will state aims and conditions in the talks with Lukashenka. The European Commissioner stated that she won’t repeat mistakes of Javier Solana”.