The Belarusian Christian Democracy Party was given the place to hold its Constituent Congress on 17 December 2011
The next Constituent Congress of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party (BCD) will take place in Minsk in the Palace of Culture of Minsk Tractor Works (Dauhabrodskaya str. 24), 17 December 2011. In the past the BCD was given the venue to hold its Congresses only three-five days before the events.
The registration of the delegates and guests take place from 09.30 to 10.30 a.m. The Congress itself will start at 10.30 a.m. Starting with the reports from the Party leaders, the Congress will take decisions for the legal registration of the party, adopt its Statute and Programme, take important political decisions for the year 2012. The Congress will end with the concert of well-known Belarusian musicians.
The BCD Party has attempted to gain legal status as political party in Belarus already three times in 2009 and 2010. The Belarusian authorities refuse to provide the registration unreasonably with the purpose to keep Christian Democrats in fear of criminal punishment of three years in prison for acting on behalf of an unregistered organisation. The BCD founders put themselves at risk of pressure and even repressions. However, their determination to live in freedom and democracy and participate in governing political, economic and social life of Belarus is strong.
The BCD achieved a whole new level of activity in the political arena during and after the presidential elections in 2010. According to the data the Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS, www.iiseps.org), the BCD presidential candidate, Vital Rymasheuski comes third among democratic candidates in the presidential elections results. 4,2 % of the Belarusian population voted for Mr. Rymasheuski according to the research. This proves that the BCD has become a recognised political movement nation-wide relying solely on its members and internal resources.
The negative consequences of the Belarusian regime’s reaction to the presidential elections results for the BCD were numerous arrests of leaders and activities, imprisonment of Vital Rymasheuski, Pavel Sievianets and Alaksiej Shein, searches at the central and regional offices, confiscation of office equipment. Pavel Sieviarynets, the BCD co-chairman, is presently serving a three year sentence in labour camp for the participation in the peaceful protests on 19 December 2010 in Minsk. Vital Rymasheuski received a two year conditional sentence. Yauhen Vaskovich, the BCD member from Babrujsk was also arrested after the elections and is serving 7 years sentence for arson attempt of the KGB building in his town.
We invite the BCD sister parties, friends, supporters to attend the Congress; such attendance is highly valuable as a sign of commitment to the democratic changes in Belarus and a sign of moral support and safety to the Christian Democrats in the struggle for democracy, freedom and independence.
