Center for Civil Society International (ccsi@u.washington.edu)
Thu, 29 Apr 1999 14:27:45 -0700 (PDT)
On 26 January 1999, President Lukashenko signed a decree "On Certain
Measures On Regulation of the Activity of Political Parties, Trade Unions
and Other Public Associations." According to this decree, all Belarusian
NGOs (both national and local), as well as parties and trade unions, are
subject to a procedure of repeated registration. Heading the new
registration commission for the government is a well-known Col. Zametalin,
described by independent sources in Belarus as a "notorious official
regime propagandist."
A follow-up decree (Decree #2) introduces the following "stipulations"
into the system of national legislation:
--principle of licensing the establishment of a non-governmental
organization instead of the former principle of registration;
--impossibility to argue in courts over decisions made by the "National
Commission for Registration and Re-Registration of Non-Governmental
Organizations";
--prohibition of operation for NGOs and associations without the status of
a legal entity.
Two weeks ago, on April 16, the Assembly of Belarusian Democratic NGOs
adopted an Appeal to the International Community calling on them to
protest these decrees. "We have no doubts," the Appeal stated, "that
're-registration' is aimed at complete liquidation of the Belarusian
'third sector'."
[For the full text of the Appeal, please visit the CCSI Home Page:
www.friends-partners.org/~ccsi]
Furthermore, the Assembly declared:
"The Belarusian non-governmental sector is on the eve of transition to
semi-legal or illegal operation. We are ready for this. However, we very
much hope that it might still be averted by a prompt response from the
international community to the massive and severe violations of rights of
Belarusian citizens to freedom of association."
According to Lada Bukharina of the Assembly of Democratic NGOs, the
official most responsible for these decrees is the above-mentioned
Vice-Prime Minister Zametalin, head of the Commission set by the
Administration of Lukashenko for the purpose of re-registration or new
registration. Mr. Zametalin is also associated with the Presidential
Administration.
It is suggested that faxes and letters be sent separately to Mr. Zametalin
and Sergei Ling, Prime Minister. (They share addresses and fax numbers.)
Prime Minister Sergei Ling Vladimir Zametalin, Vice Prime Minister
House of Ministers House of Ministers
Sovetskaya Street 9 Sovetskaya Street 9
Minsk Minsk
220010 Belarus 220010 Belarus
Tel (+375 17) 222 6046/6707
Fax (+375 17) 222 6665
Please send an e-mail copy of your protest to:
Executive Bureau
Assembly of Belarusian Democratic NGOs
Karl Marx Street 6-36
Minsk Belarus 220050
E-mail: ngo@user.unibel.by
ngo@home.by
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