Belarusian opposition leader hopes for Baltic backing

A leader of the Belarusian opposition hopes the Baltic states, Czech Republic and Slovakia will let the European Union know its Belarusian aid programs have failed because of too much red tape.

Speaking at the Open Estonia foundation, Sep. 27, vice-chairman of the oppositional United Citizens Party of
Belarus Yaroslav Romanchuk said the EU should lift the requirement to deposit aid monies in bank accounts of organizations registered in Belarus. He also noted that the bloc is still not prepared to finance the activity of
political parties despite the fact that Belarusian civic associations have been banned and parties have assumed their role and are the most effective promoters of democratic reform in the country.

"I see it as a special mission for the Baltic states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to explain to the EU how to work in a country with an authoritarian regime," Romanchuk said.

He singled out the German Konrad Adenauer foundation that has succeeded in adapting its support distribution system to the special situation of Belarus. Romanchuk denied rumors that the Belarusian opposition has split into a pro-Kremlin and a pro-EU wing. "Not a single democratic force is pro-Russian and only 3 percent of Belarusian residents are for a union with Russia," the opposition leader stated.

Romanchuk is a prominent economist and president of the Mizes Centre think-tank in Minsk.