Social democrats sound alarm over amendments to political parties’ law

January 25, BPN. The Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) has railed against the bill of amendments to the law governing political parties and associations, which passed the lower house on January 25.

Hramada leaders said that amendments would considerably worsen the conditions for political parties and may abolish the pluralism-based party system altogether.

The Belarusians will be deprived of the constitutional right to use political associations to legally express their position if it differs from that of the government, they noted.

Hramada also urged the House of Representatives to form a committee of officials, MPs and members of political parties for discussing legislation the allows for genuine political competition.

The bill has yet to be approved by the upper chamber of the Belarusian National Assembly and signed into law by Alaksandr Lukašenka.

It provides for the re-registration of political parties. Human rights groups fear that Belarus’ opposition parties will be outlawed as a result of the re-registration campaign.