Opposition forces are again busy with internal wars

2006-11-03

By Kiryl Paznyak

The Belarusian opposition has agreed to hold its second Congress of Democratic Forces until 25 March 2007. Yet, the motives of the political expediency of opposition forum are ambiguous. So far, the impression is that the congress is gathered in order to take away the status of the opposition leader from Alyaksandr Milinkevich and to reformat the Political Council of the united democratic forces. But, aren’t they pushing themselves even further away from voters, by getting busy with organizational and internal matters?

The opposition decided to use the local elections as a preparation for the Congress of Democratic Forces, as the results of the ballot are absolutely predictable. Although these preparations are going to spur up the opposition activists, they will definitely not reach out to the voters – especially presidential supporters. Even the opposition supporters are sick and tired of the opposition forums with a lot of words not turned into deeds.

The Congress of Democratic Forces can be looked at as a temporary opposition parliament. It will elect the president of the opposition forces (chairman of the political council), who will appoint the head of a shadow cabinet, or the National Committee.

The candidates for the local councils and the members of election commissions, who gather during the local vote more than 300 signatures in support, they will obtain the status of delegates to the Congress of Democratic Forces. It is also proposed to form groups or factions, which can be established on condition of support from at least 10% of the forum delegates. Representatives of the factions will comprise the Political Council.

The scheme looks rather doubtful. It threatens to cast doubts on the legitimacy, authority and representation of the Congress of Democratic Forces. Any opposition party can put forward any number of congressmen through the signature-collection campaign. You cannot say that the signatures of party members cannot be counted. After all, they all have friends and relatives.

There is one more sensitive issue – authenticity of signatures. The leader of the United Civil Party, Anatol Lyabedzka,n says that they count on the decency and reliability of the opposition activists.

What about those who will not participate in elections, but also want to attend the congress? They need to collect the same signatures but under the Way to Freedom platform. By the way, persistent use by democrats of the abstract notion “freedom” without taking into account a “sausage” mentality of the Belarusians is a separate story. It is also noteworthy that the slogan targets pro-change supporters only. It does not try to expand the outreach to the other voters.

Just imagine the reaction of an average voter, when they knocked on his door, proposing to tell him about the Way to Freedom platform of democratic forces and asking to leave a signature. People could easily take the opposition activists as obtrusive religious preachers. Not to mention that different collecting signatures in support of the candidates to the local council, this could be treated as an unauthorized political activity.

The chairman of the Political Council of the united democratic forces, Alyaksandr Milinkevich notes reasonably that the congress risks turning into an inter-partisan forum. Non-partisan democrats can be left out at the outskirts, just like those who boycott the local elections by principle.

By the way, it will make it more difficult for Milinkevich, who enjoys authority in the third sector, to struggle for preserving his status of the opposition leader.

The former presidential contender, who is against the congress in general, looks at it as the unjustified waste of money instead of a real work with the population.

“It will be the opposition between different parties. Who has a bigger rating, and who put more of its people on the political council. This will be an internal struggle within the opposition. Nobody is interested in that. We are losing people, instead of reaching out to them. That is why I am against the congress”, Milinkevich said during debates with Anatol Lyabedzka, his main contender for the opposition leadership at a Radio Liberty program.

But, since the majority within the opposition decided that the congress was needed, Milinkevich said: O.K. He maintains that he is not scared of this forum. But, he says he will participate only if the congress is expected to elect a leader with wide authorities.

“Since we are fighting with the rigid regime, we need discipline. And, the man, who will be supported by the majority as a single leader, should have been empowered with wide authorities. Not dictatorial authorities, of course. And I still believe that there must be a general with his staff, who obeys him voluntarily. That was the way during the presidential elections, and it worked”, Milinkevich said.

Anatol Lyabedzka is against a “democratic commandante”. He thinks “there is a substitution of notions, leading to the confusion between the electoral headquarters and the political coalition. Yes, the operation of campaign headquarters must be based on discipline and subordination. But, compromise and consent should be at the basis of the operation of a political coalition”.

The leader of the United Civil Party was right to suggest that leaders were not elected. People have to become leaders. But, what would Lyabedzka need the congress then…? In order to fire Milinkevich in a legitimate way…?

“The congress is a supreme representative and permanently functioning body of all supporters of democratic changes. It is a platform for consolidating people with different political opinions. It is a tool for structure-building and decision-making, common for different political forces”, stated Anatol Lyabedzka. But, what is hindering the opposition to act right now? Are these reshuffles in the bureaucratic apparatus of the democratic movement going to change anything?