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11.07.2012

Democracy in OSCE Parliamentary Assembly manageable

MINSK, 11 July (BelTA) – Democracy in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is manageable, said Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Viktor Guminsky at the press conference held to sum up results of Belarus’ participation in the 21st annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

“After this session I got more convinced that this kind of democracy, including that in the Parliamentary Assembly, is very manageable,” said Viktor Guminsky.

He also mentioned regular meetings with the OSCE PA working group on Belarus. The group is led by German parliamentarian Uta Zapf. Viktor Guminsky remarked that the position of the German MP was still unproductive. Asked whether the situation may change if the group was led by another person, Viktor Guminsky said: “There is no doubt that they will not let in someone, who likes us and knows our country firsthand”.

In turn, Nina Mazai, Chairwoman of the International Affairs and National Security Commission of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, explained that the group had been created for very specific things – the organization of three seminars. The group had undertaken to help organize and hold them in Belarus. Two seminars had been held. The third one was to have been held in May 2011 to discuss mass media but it had not taken place. “The program of the seminar has been agreed, the time has been agreed, but Ms. Zapf said back then that due to some personal reasons she could not take part in it and could not organize the operation of its own part. This is why the seminar did not take place… The group has no other authority, no other mandate,” remarked the MP. Now the group continues operating as it was. Its composition changes due to changes in parliaments of the relevant countries.