Zmitser Bekaliuk: Where Was State This Year And Half?
- 10.09.2019, 8:31
Protesters in Brest answered Lukashenka.
The conflict over the construction of the iPower battery factory in Brest has lasted for a year and a half. All this time Brest citizens have been protesting in the streets, trying to stop the harmful production. During the last week, the authorities actually admitted that the protesters were right. However, protesters believe that it is too early to put an end to this story. Belsat has collected key statements on the situation with the battery factory over the past week.
"We believed that this would be a good enterprise for the production of batteries, which we lacked in the country. The republic needs it. But, unfortunately, the investor is not very decent, he took the path of veiling some aspects that caused indignation among the population," - the chairman of Brest regional executive committee, Anatol Lis, said on the air of ONT TV channel.
"I saw violations - from the side of some state officials, as well as individual entrepreneurs, who promised to build the actually needed facility," - Lukashenka said the day before.
Despite the statements of the authorities, Brest citizens fighting against the battery factory, gathered in the city center again on September 8. They believe that they can stop the struggle only after the official, legally secured decision to close the plant.
"If this falls within the legal field, then the issue will be closed. In the meantime, we cannot relax. The initiative group does not stop here, we will keep fighting to the end," - Zmitser Bekaliuk, one of the protest leaders, said.
He says that protesters are nominating three of their activists - Aliaksandr Kabanau, Alena Makarevich and Raman Kisliak - for the elections to the House of Representatives. They should defend the interests of the protesters in the Parliament. Bekaliuk announced a campaign to collect signatures for the candidates.
So far, the statements of the authorities do not inspire confidence among the citizens of Brest.
"Where was the state for a year and a half? Did it take a year and a half to figure out who and where took bribes? Or did they give someone the opportunity to leave, quit? - Bekaliuk said during another action on Sunday, - There was no change in the environmental rights of citizens. I have not heard from Lukashenka that the plant should be closed. I heard him saying that we needed the plant."