Justice ministry registers new political party of Łukašenka’s supporters

May 2, BPN. The Belarusian Ministry of Justice has registered the Biełaja Ruś party, the state-run media reported.

On March 18, the major pro-governmental public association Biełaja Ruś founded a party of Łukašenka’s supporters bearing the same name. The association’s head Aleh Ramanaŭ was elected as its chair.

Some observers expect Biełaja Ruś to become the party of power in Belarus but Alaksandr Łukašenka explicitly dismissed the suggestion in his annual address to the nation and parliament on March 31.

The state “has never interfered and will never interfere with party-building, especially if the initiative comes from people who sincerely love their country,” Łukašenka said. Foreign-funded agents will be barred from Belarusian politics while political pluralism is a “tribute to the Western fashion,” he added.

On February 14, Łukašenka signed into law a bill governing political parties and public associations after it was rushed through the National Assembly. The new legislation would require all functioning parties to re-register. Critics fear that the reregistration campaign will be used by the government to shut down the few surviving opposition parties.