BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

10/01/2007

Belarusian Justice Ministry Warns Opposition Communists

Belarus's Justice Ministry has issued an official warning to the opposition Belarusian Party of Communists (PKB) following a check into the membership of the party's local organizations, Belapan reported on January 9. According to the ministry, the check did not reveal more than 200 members of the PKB, while legislation requires at least 1,000 members and chapters in four of country's six regions as well as in the city of Minsk. The ministry ordered the PKB to address the deficiency by February 5. Syarhey Vaznyak, a member of the PKB Central Committee, said that the PKB's legitimacy after the inspection is beyond doubt. He also described the investigation as illegitimate. "The check was not conducted by Justice Ministry officials, as required by law, but by district police officers, the heads of housing maintenance agencies, street sweepers, KGB officers, and representatives of prosecutor's offices," Vaznyak said. "It is evident that a member of the party could freely refuse to answer a question about his membership in the PKB, when asked by a district police officer," he added. AM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/01/3-cee/cee-100107.asp