Participation of civil activists in local elections was discussed in Minsk

photo by belngo.info

Round table discussion “NGOs and local elections: challenges, threats and opportunities” was held in Minsk on January 20.

Despite all the hindrances, some Belarusan civil activists have decided to participate in the local election campaign-2014 in Belarus. What is their goal? What can they suggest to voters? What results do they expect? These and other questions were discussed at the round table “NGOs and local elections: challenges, threats and opportunities” held on 20.01 in Minsk.

Civil activists from Vorsa, Homiel, Viliejka, Bierascie and Minsk participated in the round table.

According to Andrej Zavadzki, an expert from the Leu Sapieha foundation, the role of self-government and deputies in Belarus has decreased with time. Mr. Zavadzki stressed that there is no website on which you can learn about local deputies’ activities or contact them. However, the expert claims that still there are legal ways of influencing the governmental system, such as participating in the election campaign and contacting deputies through appeals, requests, etc.

Law “On local governance and self-governance” and Law “On the status of a local Deputy council member” oblige deputies to meet local residents once a month and report about the work he/she has done once in 6 months. So, basically, active citizens can use those opportunities to cooperate with deputies to solve some local problem.

As Ihar Kazmiercak, a member of the Vorsa youth organization “Zviaz” said that unlike political parties, civil activists don’t aim to win the elections in the first place. Civil activists have other success criteria: they work with population not only during election campaigns, but all the time, trying to help solve local problems and mobilize local residents for cooperation.

Civil activist Halina Kraucanka who will be running for the local elections in the Homiel Navabielicki district shared her ideas about the local elections. Her main goal is to unite local active residents, show them how important it is to act jointly and solve common problems together.

Assembly’s Working Group member and a PR professional, Vaclau Areska, shared his opinion about pointlessness of participation in the election campaign, having noted that there is no chance to get a mandate, Councils’ role in the public life is unimportant and voters are barely interested in the upcoming elections.

Nevertheless, all the participants agreed that the election campaign can become another opportunity to work with the public and unite local residents.

According to belngo.info