Belarusian opposition to draw up new strategy

During the coming weekend the Belarusian opposition will be holding a congress where it plans to adopt a programme for future action.

According to the leader of the United Civil Party Anatoly Lebedko, it will be “a forum for a new strategy and positive alternative”.

The members of the opposition consider that such a positive alternative should be presented by a programme of democratic and market reforms which they would carry out if they came to power. It is this programme that should be finally adopted by the congress. They are also planning to determine strategic actions for the period running up to the 2008 parliamentary elections.

They expect around 900 participants in the congress. “This will be an important event,  in the first instance, for activists. It is for them that an action plan has been drawn up, on the basis of which work with the public will be carried out, Anatoly Lebedko explained.

He said that the reform programme was aimed at broadening the electoral base of the opposition finding support among the fairly large percentage of the electorate who had not made up their mind.