BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/03/2007

Belarusian Opposition Expects Authorities To Show "Good Will" At March 25 Rally

The organizing committee for the March 25 opposition rally announced on March 21 that October Square in downtown Minsk remains the assembly place for demonstrators despite the city government's ban on gathering there (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 20, 2007), Belapan reported. On March 25, popularly called Freedom Day, the opposition plans to mark the 89th anniversary of the short-lived 1918 Belarusian People's Republic, which was crushed by the Bolsheviks. "We consistently view the March 25 holiday as an opportunity to display -- in a nonconfrontational way -- the intention of a large part of the Belarusian people to come out in support of the independence of our country and vitally important democratic changes.... The authorities still have the opportunity to show their good will and make such steps on March 25," the organizing committee said in a statement. "We hope the authorities will understand that in view of the difficult foreign-policy situation since the New Year, the time has come to seek understanding, preserve our independence, and save our homeland from division," Reuters quoted former opposition presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich as saying on March 21. Milinkevich said the March 25 rally in Minsk is expected to be attended by delegations from the European Parliament, from the German and Polish parliaments, and by supporters from Russia and Azerbaijan. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/03/3-CEE/cee-220307.asp