Aliaksandr Lukashenka Invited to Chernobyl Way

Source: www.charter97.org

The organizing committee of Chernobyl Way has addressed a letter to Aliaksandr Lukashenka. They invited Lukashenka to take part in the memorial event, and to account for realization of numerous foreign relief programs, and about how much money from national budget has been used for liquidation of the catastrophe consequences.

Dear Mr. Lukashenka!

26 April 2007 marks the 21^st anniversary of the tragic date in the modern history of Belarus. It is a fateful date in lives of many Belarusians. In 1986 an accident of Chernobyl nuclear power station took place on that day. It was the largest known anthropogenic catastrophe which caused irreparable damage to our country. About 2/3 of the wastes went down on our territory and contaminated about one fifth part of the territory with 20% of population. Belarus has been covered by the wave of short-living radio nuclides. Part of them was forcibly set so that they would not reach Moscow. Everything had been done under a veil of criminal secrecy, and people couldn’t protect themselves from this blow.

Starting from 1989 democratic forces of Belarus commemorate the day of Chernobyl atomic power station catastrophe. Every year during a meeting and a procession the democratic forces expressed their requirements to the government. They demand to reveal the truth about the catastrophe and its consequences, to return allowances to Chernobyl liquidators and people relocated from the alienation zone.

In the beginning of the 1990ies the USA and the EU allocated lots of money to different relief programs to minimize the effect of the catastrophe. However relocation of people from the contaminated areas and steps to protect their health hasn’t been done. On the contrary, the authorities cancelled allowances for people affected by Chernobyl and said that living on contaminated territories is not dangerous.

We demand you as the head of the state to give all the particulars about how the numerous foreign assistance programs had been realized and about how much money from the national budget has been used for liquidation of the catastrophe consequences.

We are sure that in the eyes of the international community this report would promote an image of Belarus as a country which is ready for real steps towards democratization, expressed inter alia in the address of the European Commission of 17 November 2006.

On behalf of organizers of Chernobyl Way we invite you to take part in the event.

The chairman of the organizing committee of Chernobyl Way,

member of Belarusian People’s Front party

Professor Ivan Nikitchanka