Over the past few years, attempts by left-wing
patriotic public associations to hold a rally or demonstration in Minsk, for
example, on May 1 — the Day of International Workers' Solidarity or November 7
— the Day of the October Socialist Revolution have been unsuccessful, since
applications by associations to the Minsk City Executive Committee asking for
permission to hold a mass event invariably, under a different pretext, a denial
followed.
The public of the republic could not come to terms with this
situation and demanded respect for the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
Article 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus states: “The freedom
of assembly, rallies, street processions, demonstrations and pickets that do
not violate the rule of law and the rights of citizens of the Republic of
Belarus is guaranteed by the state”. However, after this entry, the following
goes: “The procedure for carrying out these activities is determined by the state”,
which allows you to change this order as this bourgeois state decides.
So, for example, for many years, no payments for services
from law enforcement agencies, medical authorities and utilities were carried
out during mass events, and there was no need for this, since they are all
financed from the budget, which is charged from taxes from physical and legal
entities, and their employees receive wages from the state.
But then the procedure for holding mass events was radically
changed, the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus
dated January 24, 2019 No. 49 “On approval of the Regulation on the procedure
for paying for public order services provided by the internal affairs bodies,
expenses related to medical care came into force cleaning up the territory
after a mass event ”.
After the enactment of this resolution was enacted, the
situation with the implementation of Article 35 of the Constitution finally
became critical; henceforth, the holding of truly mass events by left-wing patriotic
associations became practically impossible, i.e. in this type of their
activity, defined by the charters, actually put an end to.
By introducing payment for services, the right to hold mass
events is, in fact, primarily deprived of the left-wing patriotic organizations
that advocate an alliance with Russia and other neighboring countries and come
up with anti-imperialist and anti-fascist initiatives. Our organizations are
not funded by anyone, while bourgeois pro-Western, including extremist organizations,
as a rule, have no problems with money, receiving them from abroad, and in
principle are able to pay for the services of police, doctors and public
utilities.
Thus, the democratic freedoms necessary for the activities
of left-wing patriotic associations no longer exist in the republic; now, an
open bourgeois dictatorship is in the interests of the propertied class. Such
an infringement of democracy is difficult to find anywhere in the world. And
all this is happening ahead of the presidential election. Although the latest
decisions regarding the procedure for holding mass events by the authorities
are hypocritically presented as expanding democratic freedoms, since in many
cases a notification procedure for organizing mass events is now introduced only
in specially designated places. However, by introducing the notification
principle with one hand, the government expands the democratic possibilities of
public associations, but with the other hand, introducing payment for holding
mass events, in fact, these democratic opportunities are nullified.
In addition, a depressing situation has developed in Minsk
regarding places designated by the Minsk City Executive Committee for mass
events. By the decision of the Minsk City Executive Committee, the actions of public
associations in the center of the Belarusian capital are prohibited:
- on the Independence Square and the October;
- on F. Skorina Avenue from Independence Square to Victory
Square;
- on Masherov Avenue.
At the same time, the permitted venues for holding mass
events, such as this venue in Kiev Square, are located in the backyards of the
Belarusian capital, usually sparsely populated, which practically eliminates
the very meaning of such events - bringing the ideas of public associations to
the masses.
In connection with the foregoing, we, the picketers, declare
the following.
1. The amendments introduced to the legislation of the
Republic of Belarus regarding payment for holding mass events lead to
unacceptable violations of the Constitution, serve the interests of bourgeois
parties that have enough money for any payments, and openly infringe on the
rights of left-wing patriotic public associations of Belarus that cannot pay
for mass events in view of fabulous rates for them.
2. We appeal to the leadership of the Republic of Belarus in
order to prevent infringement of democracy in the Republic of Belarus and the
fate that befell the people of fraternal Ukraine and is also prepared for us by
the western enemies of Belarus and their local minions, we urge the abolition
of innovations I am in the Belarusian
legislation on payment of police, medical and utilities services during mass
events in Belarus.
3. We appeal to the Minsk City Executive Committee with an
appeal to expand the list of places designated for mass events by including
streets and squares in the center of Minsk.
History has shown that the infringement of democracy and the
inevitable establishment of totalitarian regimes as a result of it are fraught
with grave consequences for society, which are then corrected with great
bloodshed.
On behalf of the picket participants, the appeal was signed
by:
B. B. ZELIKOV, Chairman of the Republican
Civil Committee of the Patriotic
public association "Fatherland"
V.V. DRACO, Chairman of the Republican Council of the public
association "For Democracy, Social Progress and Justice",
deputy of the House of Representatives
National Assembly of Belarus I Convocation
Minsk, Kiev square
04/02/2020
