Uladzimir Matskevich: I’m not going anywhere

After the elections of the new chairperson of the Coordination Committee lots of fantasies and speculations appeared in different sectors of society.

As the EuroBelarus Information Service earlier reported, last weekend the conference of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum was held in Minsk. The event went without sensations and loud declarations. Nevertheless, some results of the conference caused different kinds of rumors and suspicions. The most controversial reaction was caused by the fact that one of the leaders of the civil society resigned from the position of the chairperson of the Coordination Committee of the National Platform, giving way to Ulad Vialichka, the new chair. To avoid wrong interpretations, Uladzimir Matskevich considered it necessary to speak about the most topical questions.

On the decision to resign from the position of the Coordination Committee of the National Platform:

- To begin with, let me say that being a leader, I can be nominated for some posts; however, if I don’t want this, I won’t put my candidacy forward. It all depends on what is strategically right for the moment. That is why I am absolutely honest saying that my presence as a leader of the National Platform evokes great criticism and lots of complaints; and as I see no informative component in the criticism of our programs, our concept, our approaches, these attacks seem to be lifelong. They seem to have connection to my character, my behavior and my leader ambitions, which were interpreted as a claim to run for the presidency. And however long time it took for me to say that I wasn’t going to do it, naming my reasons for that, the attacks at me and at the National Platform just continued. I reasoned that my presence in the Coordination Committee of the National Platform brings more harm than benefit, and no one made me change my mind. I hope that my resignation will make my opponents, who attacked the National Platform aiming at me, dismiss their arguments.

On the failures in the National Platform’s activity and responsibility for the made mistakes:

- Admitting and taking responsibility for the made mistakes and actions will be a right thing for me to do. Perhaps, if my place was occupied by a more talented, more tolerable, more communicable person, then this person could have resolved those contradictions and tensions more positively. It all much impeded my work and became the reasons why our development wasn’t going that well. So, for the moment being we haven’t reached all our goals; however, I don’t reject them, though the actions taken should be different.

On vision and understanding of how the National Platform will be developed after the change of its board:

- I am not going anywhere; and International Consortium «EuroBelarus» remains in the National Platform, even together with my own small initiative - AGT. So my colleagues and I will help the Coordination Committee if necessary and will solve those tasks that the National Platform faces, i.e. the consolidation of the civil society, enhancement of National Platform’s influence and its participation in resolving the most principal problems in the Belarusan society using the potential and the resources we have, however small they are. And with each following year we have to solve more and more serious problems.

On the reaction to the groundless reproaches and scorns:

- I am likewise scornful and ironic towards different sort of scornful complaints. However, even unfounded blames can bring serious problems. There are real problems I know how to solve; however, I also know that Ulad Vialichka will handle them better. First, it concerns the diplomatic representation of the National Platform at international level, for it will be easier for Ulad Vialichka to find a common language with the European politicians, diplomats and public leaders, as well as with a number of public organizations within Belarus. Besides, he enjoys bigger authority in the regions.

On the problems National Platform has, the ways to solve them and the role of the Consortium «EuroBelarus» in these processes:

-  I see problems in the existence of such problems I don’t know how to solve, like disproportionate and unequal representation of the organizations in the structure of the National Platform and the Coordination Committee. The fact that Consortium «EuroBelarus» prevails in the management of the National Platform is erroneous, as representation has to be equal.

On potential, opponents and competition:

- Many of our political opponents don’t have their representatives in the management of the National Platform. I wish I saw them in the Coordination Committee, too, but, unfortunately, they expressed no such desire. I want to state with confidence that “EuroBelarus” won’t lessen its initiative and its activity. And if someone considers that the role and the place of the Consortium “EuroBelarus” is too excessive for the National Platform, then they should build up their own potential and influence, not diminish ours. Let those who disagree with the political landscape in the country catch up with us and make us better.

On his own role in the future work of the National Platform:

- I think that my role will consist in consulting, advising and helping the functioning Coordination Committee of the National Platform. What else can I do? Besides, one more task that I didn’t specify in the summary report at the last conference is the regional development of the National Platform, which is our obvious fault. And being a civil society leader, I have to visit regions more, speaking about the work of the National Platform and attracting regional organizations to more active work and consolidation. I am talking about the creation of the regional areas and regional groups. Here the activity of Piotr Kuzniatsou, who has become the member of the new Coordination Committee, is exemplary. His work in Homel is noticeable even from Minsk, and there are no similar examples in the other regions of Belarus. There is also no use in thinking that Minsk can solve any problems; it can offer help only for those who is self-motivated.