IS THERE ANY CHANCE FOR A DIALOGUE?

Many parties and social movements of Belarus are planning the Congress of democratic forces on January, 1999. The main aim of the Congress must be working out a common strategy for politics of different views.

It's well known that the conflict between the opposition and the authorities is formally based on the problem of legitimacy and non-legitimacy of the last constitution. There is a constitutional crisis in Belarus, the members of the Belorussian social-democratic party say.

The only way out of it is calling the Constitutional Assembly. Opposition's arguments are simple.Today's National Assembly will be never recognized by the West. The situation will not change if opposition parties won't be allowed to participate in the parliament elections.

Moreover, social-democrats consider that after such elections Belarus is likely to get credits and investments from the West that are needed so badly. The opposition hopes that the authorities are also interested in political stabilization. That's why social-democrats try to reach a compromise.

The dialogue is possible, they say, only if the authorities "stop repressions against the opposition and guarantee objective reporting of the situation in mass-media".

If the officials accept the conditions, they will participate in the negotiations that are likely to be followed by signing the Declaration on calling for the Constitutional Assembly. BSDP insists on including in the Assembly deputies of the 13th Supreme Soviet.

The main goals of the Constitutional Assembly are: new constitution, passing laws on parliament and president elections and appointing their date.

But if the authorities refuse to negotiate, the opposition is going to call the Constitutional Assembly on their own.

Tatjana Schedrionok
Translated by Olga Detiuk
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