Popular Front party members denied accommodation in Minsk hotels

The Party of the Belarusian Popular Front has failed to reach an agreement with the hotels in Minsk in order to accommodate the delegates of the party's congress to take place on December 8-9.

Viktar Ivashkevich, the party's deputy chairman, told the European Radio for Belarus that the hotel administrations initially confirmed that the vacant rooms were available and asked to send official papers. When the orders were filed, the hotels refused to accommodate the congress delegates, according to Ivashkevich.

The European Radio for Belarus called several hotels, which the web site of the Belarusian Popular Front said denied accommodation services. However, hotel managers declined to admit any political motives.

A staff at the Tourist Hotel said they were not aware they were approached by the representatives of the Party of the Belarusian Popular Front. They could not accommodate 90 people and offered only 30 vacant rooms. But the party refused.

The party has found a traditional way out of this situation.

“We have found new mechanisms to accommodate the delegates. We have offered them the apartments owned by the Minsk-based members of the party. We also envisaged other options, so we are getting out of this situation normally", Ivashkevich said.