Supreme Court of Belarus Puts off Liquidation of Party of Communists of Belarus

15.11.2006.

Today, on 15 November, during a preliminary court hearing of the Supreme Court of Belarus determine a criminal cause in the suit of the Justice Ministry of Belarus to suspend the activity of the Party of Communists of Belarus until the official results of the elections of local Soviet’s deputies of the 25^th convocation would be published. The court decision has been justified by the law On political parties in Belarus which reads that activities of a political party cannot be suspended during an election campaign.

As we have informed, the Justice Ministry had sued the party after a written warning was issued for failure to submit documents about the number of its members. The PCB refused to fulfil the demand of the Justice Ministry, believing that is contradicts norms of the law On political parties. The official warning by the Justice Ministry has been appealed against in the Supreme Court. On 18 October the court upheld the Justice Ministry’s decision about the warning. The same day the PCB brought a list of a thousand and a half members of the party to the Justice Ministry. It is enough for the party to be recognized legally capable.