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Presidential aspirants urged not to use Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum for campaigning

Civil society activists have urged politicians planning to run in Belarus’ forthcoming presidential election not to use the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum as a campaigning platform, BelaPAN reports.

The matter was discussed at a conference held by the National Civil Society Forum in Minsk on July 5 and 6.

The gathering approved a list of representatives that they recommend should form the country’s delegation to the second meeting of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum to take place in Berlin this fall.

The list features representatives of 32 organizations, including the Movement for Freedom, the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, the Independent Trade Union of Chemists and the European Belarus coalition.

“Activists of these organizations -- Alyaksandr Milinkevich, Alyaksandr Yarashuk, Ales Mikhalevich and Andrey Sannikaw -- have all announced their presidential ambitions in this way or another,” said Alena Tankachova, leader of the Center of Law Transformation. “We don`t want the Forum to turn into a campaigning platform for the people. The line should be drawn between civil society activities and political activities. I think that other people should represent the organizations at the Forum’s meeting.”