Sergei Antusevich, a BPF activist who heads the grassroots organization of the Belarusian Free Trade Union at the Grodno Azot nitrogen fertilizer company, told BelaPAN that opposition activists willing to take part in the forum had been delivering fake signatures.

Under a scheme approved by the opposition, the status of delegate is to be given to candidates in the January 9-14 local elections who have managed to gather more than 300 voter signatures or to activists who have collected as many signatures to the opposition's appeal to the public.

Mr. Antusevich said that more than 3,000 fake signatures had been submitted to the group for delegating residents of the Grodno region to the forum.

“There was even an instance of a man submitting 160 signatures that were allegedly gathered at the opposite ends of the city during one day. It is physically impossible. Even if the signatures are approved, I do not consider it possible for me to take part in this event,” he stressed.

“It is unacceptable to break rules that we themselves have established. There are rules which everybody should follow irrespective of political interests,” he added.

Yevgeny Lyasotsky, who heads the regional group for sending delegates to the form, told BelaPAN that a total of 49 local activists had expressed their intention to participate in the congress.

Signatures that were submitted by “at least” 10 of them looked suspicious, according to him. Thirty-one people had their signatures approved, including 17 activists of the BPF, five of the United Civic Party, five of the Belarusian Party of Communists and four supporters of Aleksandr Milinkevich.

Mr. Lyasotsky suggested that the BPF Grodno charter might make good on its promise to boycott the key forum if the opposition's Minsk-based commission for the registration of delegates would grant access to the 10 persons.

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