Belarusian Popular Front sounds alarm over dismissals of opposition activists

Dismissals of members of opposition parties became more frequent this past June, Ihar Lyalkow, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), says in a statement issued on Monday.

Employers take advantage of the fixed-term employment contract system to fire opposition activists, Mr. Lyalkow says.

Thus, employment contracts were not prolonged last month with BPF member Ivan Sheha, a medical doctor in Slonim, Hrodna region; Valyantsina Alinevich, a member of the United Civic Party who was a professor at Belarusian State Economic University in Minsk; and Valery Beraziyenka, a member of the "Spravedlivy Mir" (Just World) Belarusian Party of the Left who was a professor at Belarusian-Russian University in Mahilyow.

Mr. Lyalkow condemns the dismissals as politically motivated, demands the reinstatement of dismissed opposition activists, urges the government to abandon the fixed-term employment contract system in favor of a system based on open-ended contracts, and warns authorities against applying discriminatory measures against public employees ahead of the 2014 local elections.