MINELRES: Belarus: Justice ministry Annulled Convention Union of Poles

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Felix Corley <fcorley@ndirect.co.uk>


http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2005/05/12/otmenil

Justice ministry Annulled Convention Union of Poles of Belarus
17:29, 12/05/2005

Justice Ministry of Belarus has annulled the 6th convention of the
Belarusian Union of Poles (BUP), which took place two months ago in
Hrodna. According to the Justice Ministry, "majority of the delegates
for the convention were elected with violation of the statute of the
public association "Belarusian Union of Poles", and thus could not
represent votes of other members of this public association. Besides,
the procedure of the convention' conduction was grossly violated.
Persons not belonging to the delegates of the convention, interfered in
the session. The agenda of the convention had not been affirmed, quorum
was absent by passing majority of decisions. These facts confirm
undemocratic character of the convention". Thus, according to this
ruling, all the rulings of the 6th convention are annulled, and Tadevush
Kruchkouski, the regime's henchman, is to lead the Belarusian Union of
Poles again.

Justice Ministry offers the public association to carry out the
convention once again. In two weeks the supreme council, elected at the
5th convention of the Belarusian Union of Poles, is to define the
agenda, the place and the date of the convention, as well as electoral
quotient. 

It has been reported that Anzhelika Borys, elected as BUP chairwoman at
the 6th convention, stated that the authorities exercise tremendous
pressure against her. There where even threats on the phone, and demands
to leave her position. 

Former head of the Union, Tadevush Kruchkouski, who lost the vote,
refused to pass documents to the new head of the organization, including
the financial ones. And now Anzhelika Borys is charged with financial
scheming. Last time she had been interrogated in the police department
of Lenin district of Hrodna for 6 hours.

"By all means we shall defend the right to determine the public life of
the Poles in Belarus independently," said Andrej Pachobut,
editor-in-chief of the "Polish magazine", to the "Pahonya", commenting
on the decision of the Justice Ministry. "We won't let turn the Union of
Poles into the union of KGB-men".