Opposition to negotiate on negotiations

Hardly had the state leader claimed a virtual possibility of a dialogue between the authorities and the representatives of the opposition and the civil society then the leaders of the mentioned opposition decided to get together for a special session.

The session will take place upon the initiative of the United Civil Party, and not all the invited politicians know its aim exactly. For instance, leader of the civil campaign "Tell the Truth" Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu has confessed to Euroradio that he does not see any necessity to conduct this session but he is going to come to the UCP office anyway. 

Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu: “I don't see any necessity for hasty actions as there is no suggestion on negotiations. There is just a suggestion on suggestions. This is nothing the way it's worded now, without release of political prisoners. However, if they do get together, I think I need to come there as well”.

He has also confessed that if someone attempts to organize election of participants of the possible round table from the opposition, he will not take part in that.

However, UCP Chairman Anatol Lyabedzka assures that no one is going to elect anyone anywhere today. He says that the opposition just intends to formulate its demands to the future negotiations on paper.

Anatol Lyabedzka: “We have a common position with regard to political prisoners - we record it. And then, when we say a process of negotiations is about to start - what do we want to see there? In my opinion, it should have a very precise agenda - 2-3 issues, no more, and strict time frames. If we have that, we already have a position”.

It is known that there have been 3 attempts to organize a dialogue between the authorities and the opposition for the last 17 years. The state leader personally has never participated in these "dialogues". Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu has said that he will not take part in the negotiations in case Lukashenka ignores them.

Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu: “I will do the same what I did at TV-debates (Nyaklyaeu left the studio where the TV-debates were held when Lukashenka failed to appear there - Euroradio). I am not going to negotiate with people who do not take decisions. It will be playing for the regime again”.

Lyabedzka has replied that it's not the personalities, but their authorizations is what important. Therefore, he thinks that it is not necessary to include the point of Lukashenka's personal presense at the negotiations into the list of the opposition's demands.

Anatol Lyabedzka: “The key point here is that a person should have a mandate for holding negotiations in the situation like this. We have such experience - in 1999 Sazonau was authorized personally by Lukashenka and he signed the document on the opposition's access to mass media. His signature is there. This was not just a passer-by - he was authorized to do this”.

According to Lyabedzka, almost all political forces of the country have been invited, and everyone promised to come. However, it has been decided not to invite journalists to the session in order someone especially sensitive would not freak out, Lyabedzka has explained.

Besides, it has become known to Euroradio that the LDPB leader Syarhei Haidukevich has not been invited to this session. He does not suffer much because of this and organized his own meeting due to the same reason.

Syarhei Haidukevich: “Let them get together and elaborate something. We get together and think on our position also. We'll see. We do not object if our colleagues elaborate something more than we suggest here - we are ready to speak on these topics”.

He has also noted that if there are negotiations with the authorities in the end, he sees no point in negotiating with "some ministers or officials of the President's administration" - the LDPB leader wants to talk only to a representative of the authorities who is equal to him.

Photo: Zmitser Lukashuk