Opposition split over congress boycott
Several pro-democracy parties and NGOs in Mahioliou on May 25 said they would boycott the Congress of Pro-democracy Forces to take place on May 26-27 in Minsk. The statement was joined among others by the representatives of the local branches of the Party of the Belarusian Popular Front, the Belarusian Social Democratic Party "Hramada" and the United Civil Party.
The activists pointed in a statement to the lack of a clear aim of the congress and to the inefficient mechanism for the nomination of delegates. According to Vital Makaranka who chairs the city cell of the Party of the Belarusian Popular Front, the cause of the demarch is that Minsk did not confirm the authority of part of the delegates from the Mahiliou region. However, nobody knows exactly how many delegates are to head to Minsk and how many are to boycott the congress.
Meanwhile, Radio Svaboda reports that part of the delegates from the Hrodna region will not go to the congress, either. They too have complaints over the aims and the agenda of the congress.
The activists pointed in a statement to the lack of a clear aim of the congress and to the inefficient mechanism for the nomination of delegates. According to Vital Makaranka who chairs the city cell of the Party of the Belarusian Popular Front, the cause of the demarch is that Minsk did not confirm the authority of part of the delegates from the Mahiliou region. However, nobody knows exactly how many delegates are to head to Minsk and how many are to boycott the congress.
Meanwhile, Radio Svaboda reports that part of the delegates from the Hrodna region will not go to the congress, either. They too have complaints over the aims and the agenda of the congress.
