A. Patupa: Negotiations with authorities on decree #760 may be resumed

The authorities are responsible for the situation that led to a “nervous breakdown” – the street action of private entrepreneurs. The announcement was made by the former head of the Belarusian Union of Entrepreneurs Alyaksandr Patupa in his interview with ERB. He condemns repressions aimed at the action’s organizers and participants. At the same time Patupa thinks that negotiations with the authorities may be resumed:

“I deeply appreciate the action’s participants but I think that such actions are very unlikely to influence or change anything. However, we are still trying to change the situation regardless of the fact that article 1.1 of decree #760 came into power on January 2008… I think we will resume negotiations about it soon”.

Alyaksandr Patupa reminds that the negotiations were stopped because of Alyaksandr Lukashenka who claimed he was against changing article 1.1 of decree #760.

Patupa says he is worried about the criminal case started “in connection with mass riots” because “any number of people may be detained, punished and imprisoned” according to the article. He thinks that it is a very bad signal.

Alyaksandr Patupa hopes that the Belarusian Union of Entrepreneurs will be invited to conduct the negotiations.