REGIME ANNOUNCES STEPS TO LIQUIDATE OPPOSITION COMMUNISTS

UNCLAS MINSK 000011 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR PHUM BO SUBJECT: REGIME ANNOUNCES STEPS TO LIQUIDATE OPPOSITION COMMUNISTS Ref: A) 07 Minsk 686 B) 07 Minsk 865 ¶1. (U) On January 2, the Belarusian Justice Ministry announced plans to initiate liquidation proceedings against the opposition Belarusian Party of Communists (BPC). The announcement came one month before the party's six-month suspension is set to expire (ref A). Authorities allege that the party has failed to correct the violations that caused its suspension, namely that offices are still located at non-registered addresses, that the BPC member list still includes the names of deceased people, and that it failed to improve its membership fee registration practices. ¶2. (SBU) BPC Deputy Chairman Valeriy Ukhnalyov told poloff that his party has received notification from authorities, but that a date for the liquidation hearing has not yet been set. Ukhnalyov stated that party leadership expected the move, and assumed that authorities would initiate liquidation hearings around the time the suspension was to expire. He said they are already preparing their defense, and are ready to fight. In a separate media interview, Ukhnalyov asserted that the announcement, though expected, was premature given the fact that the party is required to submit documents outlining steps it has taken to improve flaws to the Justice Ministry ten days before expiration of the suspension, which the party plans to do by January 21. Comment -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In the run-up to parliamentary polls to be held later this year, the regime continues its efforts to eliminate parties with recognizable brands. Authorities have already liquidated the Green Party and the women's party "Nadzeya" (ref B),and the Communists have long been a likely target. Liquidation of the BPC -- chaired by Sergey Kalyakin, a member of the opposition delegation that visited Washington December 3-8, 2007 -- would also mean that the only member of the opposition Coalition of Leftist Parties that remained registered would be Belarusian Social Democratic Party "Gramada," headed by former presidential candidate and political prisoner Aleksandr Kozulin. Moore