Belarusian Poles Ignore Official Union of Poles

On 6 November the meeting of members of the Union of Poles with Iuzaf Luchnik (whom Belarusian authorities consider as the chair of the UPB) was to have taken place in the town of Sapotskin in Hrodna district. Members of the union were informed about the meeting by announcements and some of them even received personal invitations. However, the town citizens ignored the meeting: only to persons came to it. The majority of the town citizens are Poles, but they still support the democratically elected chair of their organization, Anzhalika Borys, despite the refusal of the authorities to confess her official position.

In Sapotskin the former pupil of Iuzaf Luchnik, vice-chair of United Civil Party Iaraslau Ramanchuk saw the meeting didn’t take place:
-- I told Mr. Luchnik what I wanted to: he tries to again impose on people some communistic ideals concerning the situation where the state decides what to do with the Union of Poles instead of its members. I think it is very good he heard it together with other people who were there, including the chief editor of the newspaper that was taken away from the Union of Poles that is headed by Anzhalika Borys.

Iaraslau Ramanchuk and his parents are members of the Union of Poles. He thinks that in Sapotskin and other towns and cities many people still associate the Union of Poles with Anzhalika Borys who was democratically elected by delegates of the 6th assembly half a year ago.

The activist of the union headed by A. Borys Andrei Pachobut thusly treats this situation:
-- Sapotskin is the town where almost all citizens know Luchnnik for being a school director there and in the village of Sonichy as well. Prior to the latest events he used to have certain authority there which was used by the officials during preparation to his election in Vaukavysk. However, the people who used to greet Luchnik, now revert the eyes and don’t speak to him.