Only parties that follow government policies to be allowed in Belarus – Łukašenka

December 13, BPN. Only those political parties that “comply with the basic principles of domestic and foreign policy” will be allowed to function in Belarus, Alaksandr Łukašenka has said.

Parties must support the strategy outlined by the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, he added. “What is unclear and what is wrong here?” Łukašenka’s press office quoted him as saying at a government conference. “There is a course and it has been worked out. Political parties have enough leeway to offer one way or another.”

A wide range of political structures can exist in Belarus, but “loyalty to the country, acting on behalf of the citizens, our people, the Belarusians, is the duty of any party,” he noted.

A draft law concerning political parties has not yet been made available to the public, but state-run media are already discussing its provisions.

One calls for a ban on parties that advocate changes in the constitutional system, support war, incite hatred or engage in extremist or terrorist activities. Authorities have been using these charges to persecute political opponents in the last two years.

The founder of a party must be a Belarusian national, permanently residing in the country. The draft law also reportedly allows for financing parties from the republican or local budgets.

As of January 1, 2022, there were 15 registered political parties in Belarus. Most of them show no signs of activity, and many leaders are in prison.