Milinkevich Elected Chairman of Organizing Committee for Chernobyl March

Former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich has been elected chairman of the organizing committee for an annual march called Charnobylski Shlyakh (Path of Chernobyl), which is to be staged in Minsk on April 26 on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of the Chernobyl accident.

The Political Council of United Pro-democratic Forces voted to name Mr. Milinkevich chairman at a meeting on March 27.

The organizing committee will hold its first meeting on March 31, the Belarusian Popular Front’s press office said.

Mr. Milinkevich suggested establishing the organizing committee on March 17.

“At present Belarusians are concerned about changes in regulations aimed at abolishing social benefits for relocatees, disabled people and Chernobyl cleanup veterans,” he said in a statement.

According to him, the purpose of the march will be to “give an assessment to the government’s policy regarding the minimization of the disaster’s consequences in contaminated areas.”

“Charnobylski Shlyakh 2008 will contribute to further expanding the campaign against the construction of a nuclear power plant in the authoritarian post-Chernobyl Belarus,” the politician said.