Sevyarynets: There can be no unified position among the six structures

On January 31 instead the announcement of overall strategy of the parliamentary elections campaign in 2012, the press conference "the coalition of six" ended almost in a fight, which became a tasty subject for the most mass media.

Why is it happening and what impedes the democratic forces to come together? While some people believe, that to go to the elections one by one means dooming themselves to defeat and they seek a compromise, others hold one's ground not wanting to give any chance to the regime for legitimacy. Does the opposition have a prospect of unifying, and in what form it can be realized? The co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Pavel Sevyarynets told this in an interview to UDF.BY.

- Yesterday at the press conference of "the coalition of six" it was expected the opposition would state about the unified strategy for participation in the 2012 parliamentary elections. But to achieve unity was not possible. Will the BCD compromise, or will hold its ground till the end, despite the position of other parties and social movements?

- The very question is wrong. There is no single position among the six structures and cannot be, all this is just a try to make an impression of unity. The Communists are completely involved, the BCD is completely boycotting, others are trying to cross a hedgehog with a snake. In such a situation the only one solution exists: to make a good face in a bad game. And it always ends badly.

- But then, where the democratic forces can work together?

- In my opinion, there are three things which can be done together in the 2012 campaign.

1. Set up the common claims to the regime: the release of political prisoners, changes in the electoral legislation, the cessation of repressions, the registration of parties and organizations that haven't been registered until now. At least, in this way.

2. To organize a massive observation. Belarusian people will ignore these elections, and we need to know exactly how many people came and how many didn't come to polling stations. To do this we need an observation, and to organize it together is easier. Regardless of whether someone will go somewhere or not, whether will nominate "candidates", etc.

3. All-Belarusian People's Congress. Since the "house" is illegitimate and it won't become legitimate as a result of these pseudo-elections, then we need the independent legislative alternative. At least in the form of the National Parliament and the alternative government. All-Belarusian People's Congress must decide all these.

These are the things worth doing together. But to pretend that we have some common tactics is meaningless, because there is no. Just no! Some want to eat a fish, and not to wet the nose: to participate in "elections" and to pretend they are honest and moral. But others clearly and explicitly say we are for an active boycott.

- What is the position of BCD?

- We have already expressed it several times: the BCD will not take part there. We are putting forward our demands till 25 March (Freedom Day), and if they are not reached, then from the Freedom Day a broad campaign of an active boycott will start. Everything else, I stress, it's trying to look like something, to imitate something. But there is no unity at all. I think, anyone interested in the activities of the Belarusian opposition, is well aware that to just sit down, to sign the documents and immediately begin to work in one direction is not possible at this time.

- Why?

- There are several reasons. People have different motives, different sources of funding, different geopolitical orientations... And all these objectively leads to the poor position we have today.

- When does your prison term expire, is the early release possible?

- If it happens, then as a consequence of the tough European politics and the successful campaign of active boycott. And nothing else cannot influence my release and other political prisoners, if there is early release, it will be politically motivated. And I'm not waiting for any grant of parole for a simple reason, I don't plead guilty and not going to plead. The term ends on October 19, 2014.

UDF.BY note. Pavel Sevyarynets was sentenced to three years of penal colony in the case of December 19. He arrived in the village Kuplino of Pruzhany District on August 11, 2011 to serve his sentence, where he remains to the present day. On Monday, January 30, 2012 at the appeal hearing the Supreme Court of Belarus considered the verdict as just and fair.