Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MINSK1006
2007-12-10 17:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:
OPPOSITION BPF ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP
how-toVZCZCXRO8041 PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHSK #1006/01 3441701 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 101701Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY MINSK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6708 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1751 RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 001006
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR BO
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION BPF ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP
REF: MINSK 415
Classified By: Charge Jonathan Moore for reason 1.4 (d).
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 001006
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR BO
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION BPF ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP
REF: MINSK 415
Classified By: Charge Jonathan Moore for reason 1.4 (d).
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) Opposition Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) Chair
Vintsuk Vyachorka was unexpectedly replaced by former Acting
BPF Chair Levon Barshchevskiy after Vyachorka twice fell
short of the absolute majority needed for re-election at the
December 8-9 BPF party conference. BPF members remain evenly
divided over their party's close cooperation with opposition
Communist leader Sergey Kalyakin and the need to cooperate
with the opposition "For Freedom" movement of former
presidential candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich. End summary.
Divided Party Chooses Dark Horse Candidate
--------------
2. (U) On December 8-9, following two failed attempts to
elect a chair, the tenth party congress of the Belarusian
Popular Front (BPF) elected consensus candidate Levon
Barshchevskiy to lead the party. Vintsuk Vyachorka, who had
been BPF chair for eight years and led in the first two
inconclusive ballots, was elected First Deputy Chair with an
international affairs porfolio. The two candidates who had
originally opposed Vyachorka for BPF leadership, Ales
Mikhalevich and Viktor Ivashkevich, were elected Deputy
Chairs also, as were Aleksey Yanukevich and Yuriy Gubarevich.
BPF Divided over Milinkevich and Kalyakin
--------------
3. (U) The pre-election speeches were spirited and reflected
growing fissures within BPF regarding Vyachorka's leadership
and the party's role within the United Democratic Forces
(UDF) coalition (reftel). Mikhalevich, Gubarevich and their
supporters were highly critical of Vyachorka for aligning too
closely with UDF partner and opposition Belarusian Party of
Communists (BPC) Chair Sergey Kalyakin. They also called for
closer relations with Aleksandr Milinkevich's "For Freedom"
movement, Belarusian Christian Democracy and other
center-right forces. Vyachorka conceded that cooperation
with Milinkevich was important but he and his supporters
called for a strong, independent BPF within the UDF
coalition. Following his election, Barshchevskiy said that
under his leadership BPF would honor its UDF commitments but
that internal party development would be job one. He called
on BPF members who also participate in Milinkevich's "For
Freedom" to make BPF's success their first priority.
Biographical Note
--------------
4. (U) Levon Barshchevskiy is a professional translator who
speaks seven languages and is currently the vice-principal of
the Yakub Kolas Humanities Lyceum, a preparatory school that
has continued to operate unofficially since its 2003 closure
by authorities. After serving as a member of the 12th
Supreme Soviet, Barshchevskiy served as Acting BPF Chair from
1995 to 1999, when the BPF split with what is now the
BPF-Conservative Christian Party. Born in Polotsk on March
4, 1958, Barschevskiy earned undergraduate and doctoral
degrees from Minsk State Linguistic University.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) In the first two leadership votes, Vyachorka and
Mikhalevich were divided by as few as four votes out of 242
cast, strong evidence that the relationships with "For
Freedom" and the UDF's Belarusian Party of Communists divide
the party almost in half. Barshchevskiy, a consensus
candidate elected without opposition, has significant work to
do if he is both to honor BPF's UDF commitments and mend the
rifts that have formed in BPF membership.
6. (C) Vyachorka's departure from the BPF leadership is
somewhat sad to watch. He gave up much by nominating, in
November 2005, Aleksandr Milinkevich as the opposition's
joint 2006 presidential candidate. BPF members either
endorsed Milinkevich -- who has paid only lip service to the
BPF since -- or resented Vyachorka's being sidelined. At the
same time, Vyachorka's nationalist approach to opposition
politics has also been criticized for not reaching out to a
broader audience more enticed by European values and
standards rather than historical Belarusian symbology. We
have yet to see how this change will affect UDF leadership
MINSK 00001006 002 OF 002
structures and decision making -- Vyachorka is still
nominally the deputy chairman of the UDF for international
relations.
MOORE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR BO
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION BPF ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP
REF: MINSK 415
Classified By: Charge Jonathan Moore for reason 1.4 (d).
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) Opposition Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) Chair
Vintsuk Vyachorka was unexpectedly replaced by former Acting
BPF Chair Levon Barshchevskiy after Vyachorka twice fell
short of the absolute majority needed for re-election at the
December 8-9 BPF party conference. BPF members remain evenly
divided over their party's close cooperation with opposition
Communist leader Sergey Kalyakin and the need to cooperate
with the opposition "For Freedom" movement of former
presidential candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich. End summary.
Divided Party Chooses Dark Horse Candidate
--------------
2. (U) On December 8-9, following two failed attempts to
elect a chair, the tenth party congress of the Belarusian
Popular Front (BPF) elected consensus candidate Levon
Barshchevskiy to lead the party. Vintsuk Vyachorka, who had
been BPF chair for eight years and led in the first two
inconclusive ballots, was elected First Deputy Chair with an
international affairs porfolio. The two candidates who had
originally opposed Vyachorka for BPF leadership, Ales
Mikhalevich and Viktor Ivashkevich, were elected Deputy
Chairs also, as were Aleksey Yanukevich and Yuriy Gubarevich.
BPF Divided over Milinkevich and Kalyakin
--------------
3. (U) The pre-election speeches were spirited and reflected
growing fissures within BPF regarding Vyachorka's leadership
and the party's role within the United Democratic Forces
(UDF) coalition (reftel). Mikhalevich, Gubarevich and their
supporters were highly critical of Vyachorka for aligning too
closely with UDF partner and opposition Belarusian Party of
Communists (BPC) Chair Sergey Kalyakin. They also called for
closer relations with Aleksandr Milinkevich's "For Freedom"
movement, Belarusian Christian Democracy and other
center-right forces. Vyachorka conceded that cooperation
with Milinkevich was important but he and his supporters
called for a strong, independent BPF within the UDF
coalition. Following his election, Barshchevskiy said that
under his leadership BPF would honor its UDF commitments but
that internal party development would be job one. He called
on BPF members who also participate in Milinkevich's "For
Freedom" to make BPF's success their first priority.
Biographical Note
--------------
4. (U) Levon Barshchevskiy is a professional translator who
speaks seven languages and is currently the vice-principal of
the Yakub Kolas Humanities Lyceum, a preparatory school that
has continued to operate unofficially since its 2003 closure
by authorities. After serving as a member of the 12th
Supreme Soviet, Barshchevskiy served as Acting BPF Chair from
1995 to 1999, when the BPF split with what is now the
BPF-Conservative Christian Party. Born in Polotsk on March
4, 1958, Barschevskiy earned undergraduate and doctoral
degrees from Minsk State Linguistic University.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) In the first two leadership votes, Vyachorka and
Mikhalevich were divided by as few as four votes out of 242
cast, strong evidence that the relationships with "For
Freedom" and the UDF's Belarusian Party of Communists divide
the party almost in half. Barshchevskiy, a consensus
candidate elected without opposition, has significant work to
do if he is both to honor BPF's UDF commitments and mend the
rifts that have formed in BPF membership.
6. (C) Vyachorka's departure from the BPF leadership is
somewhat sad to watch. He gave up much by nominating, in
November 2005, Aleksandr Milinkevich as the opposition's
joint 2006 presidential candidate. BPF members either
endorsed Milinkevich -- who has paid only lip service to the
BPF since -- or resented Vyachorka's being sidelined. At the
same time, Vyachorka's nationalist approach to opposition
politics has also been criticized for not reaching out to a
broader audience more enticed by European values and
standards rather than historical Belarusian symbology. We
have yet to see how this change will affect UDF leadership
MINSK 00001006 002 OF 002
structures and decision making -- Vyachorka is still
nominally the deputy chairman of the UDF for international
relations.
MOORE