Party of Freedom and Progress
{{Distinguish|text=the Belgian Party for Freedom and Progress}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Party of Freedom and Progress
| native_name = Партыя свабоды і прагрэсу
Партия свободы и прогресса
| abbreviation = PSP
| native_name_lang = be
| logo = Logo of the Party of Freedom and Progress.svg
| leader = Uładzimier Navasiad
| foundation = {{start date|2003|11|22|df=y}}
| split = United Civic Party
| predecessor = Civil Forum
| headquarters = Minsk
| ideology = Liberalism
Pro-Europeanism
| position = Centre
| youth_wing = Civil Forum
| international =
| european = Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (observer)
| colours = {{color box|#404488|border=darkgray}} {{color box|{{party color|Party of Freedom and Progress}}|border=darkgray}} Blue
| colorcode = {{party color|Party of Freedom and Progress}}
| website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20201027013503/http://liberaly.org/ liberaly.org]
| country = Belarus
}}
The Party of Freedom and Progress (PSP; {{langx|be|Партыя свабоды і прагрэсу|Partyja svabody i prahresu}}; {{langx|ru|Партия свободы и прогресса|Partiya svobody i progressa}}) is a liberal political party in Belarus. Since 2003, it has continuously failed to reach the minimum threshold to get an official registration by the electoral commission.
Four constituent congresses took place on November 22, 2003, May 29, 2004,{{Cite news|date=2004-07-08|title=Партия свободы и прогресса не нужна государству|language=ru|work=БДГ Деловая газета|url=http://bdg.by/news/news.htm?60786,3|access-date=2020-12-08}}{{Cite news|title=Вярхоўны Суд Беларусі прызнаў абгрунтаваным рашэньне Міністэрства юстыцыі адмовіць у рэгістрацыі Партыі свабоды і прагрэсу|url=https://www.svaboda.org/a/788665.html|access-date=2020-12-08|website=Радыё Свабода|date=11 December 2007 |language=be|last1=Свабода |first1=Радыё }} May 29, 2005,{{Cite news|date=2005-05-31|title=Третья попытка удовлетворить Минюст|language=ru|work=БДГ Деловая газета|url=http://bdg.by/news/news.htm?72290,3|access-date=2020-12-08}} April 18, 2009. The decision to create the PFP was to approve its Charter,{{Cite web|title=Устав|url=http://www.liberaly.org/ustav/|access-date=2020-12-08|website=ПСП|language=ru-RU}} Program,{{Cite web|title=Программа|url=http://www.liberaly.org/programma/|access-date=2020-12-08|website=ПСП|language=ru-RU}} and Manifesto{{Cite web|title=Манифест|url=http://www.liberaly.org/manifest/|access-date=2020-12-08|website=ПСП|language=ru-RU}} and were taken by PFP founders at the congresses. The Ministry of Justice of Belarus refused to register a new political party under formal grounds in any of these 4 cases.{{Cite web|title=Минюст Беларуси отказал в регистрации Партии свободы и прогресса {{!}} Беларусь Партии {{!}} АФН {{!}} Белорусские новости {{!}} Республика Беларусь {{!}} Минск|url=https://www.afn.by/news/i/120068%20%D0%9C%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%8E%D1%81%D1%82%20%D0%91%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81%D0%B8%20%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BB%20%D0%B2%20%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8%20%D0%9F%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B8%20%D1%81%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%8B%20%D0%B8%20%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B0%20//%20AFN.by|access-date=2020-12-06|website=www.afn.by}}
History of PFP
The PFP came into existence in the mid-1990s, when a small group of people organized an initiative called "Civil Alliance". In 1996, the initiative was transformed into the youth wing of the liberal-conservative United Civil Party of Belarus called "Civil Forum".{{Cite web|title=История организации {{!}} Гражданский форум|url=https://civilforum.by/history/|access-date=2020-12-08|language=ru-RU}}
In 2000, the United Civil Party decided not to participate in parliamentary elections. However, members of the Civil Forum disagreed with the Party's decision and took part in the election campaign. Civil Forum's chairman Uładzimier Navasiad was elected as an MP.{{Cite web|last=ЖИВОЛОВИЧ|first=Кирилл|date=2001-11-24|title=Владимир НОВОСЯД: Живу здесь и сейчас|url=https://www.sb.by/articles/vladimir-novosyad-zhivu-zdes-i-seychas.html|access-date=2020-12-08|website=www.sb.by|language=ru-RU}} It was at this time that Civil Forum broke away from the United Civil Party. Civil Forum began to elaborate on its own strategy based on liberal values.
After winning of Uładzimier Navasiad in the elections Civil Forum members developed and started lobbying at the Belarusian Parliament draft-laws on alternative military service, on citizens savings, election reform,{{Cite news|date=2003-03-21|title="Гражданский форум" и депутатская группа "Республика" собирают подписи для внесения изменений в избирательный кодекс|language=ru|work=БДГ Деловая газета|url=http://bdg.by/news/news.htm?41400,3|access-date=2020-12-08}} canceling of obligatory distribution of graduates in Belarus{{Cite web|date=2001-05-09|title="Гражданский форум" собрал 27 тысяч подписей против принудительного распределения в РБ|url=https://news.tut.by/society/5703.html|access-date=2020-12-08|website=TUT.BY|language=ru}} etc. Having its own MP provided Civil Forum and its leader Uładzimier Navasiad with the possibilities of the organizing youth events in all regions of Belarus, sending official MP requests and other means of activities. Therefore, since 2001 Civil Forum started to be the leading democratic organization in Belarus.
The necessity to create a liberal party on the basis of the youth organization became more evident as members of its youth organization were getting older. That's why In 2001 senior part of Civil Forum members initiating creation of the first liberal party in Belarus - Party of Freedom and Progress.{{Cite web|title=br.minsk.by|url=http://www.br.minsk.by/print.php?article=20274|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923194204/http://www.br.minsk.by/print.php?article=20274|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 23, 2015|access-date=2020-12-08|website=www.br.minsk.by}} The Ministry of Justice of Belarus refused to register a new political party under formal grounds in 4 cases.
PFP status
The basis of PFP is the activities of the registered youth NGO "Civil Forum" and the youth that has not previously been a member of political parties. Party emphasis is on the creation of political brands and active participation in local and parliamentary elections.
PFP has the greatest number of supporters (founders) in the Homiel, Mahiloŭ and Hrodna regions of Belarus.
The Party of Freedom and Progress will make efforts to fill a niche in a political spectrum of the country. It shall become the first democratic liberal party in Belarus (the United Civil Party of Belarus already existing in Belarus is based on conservative ideas and calls itself "liberal-conservative"). PFP intends to articulate and promote liberal ideas in Belarus. According to the article 4.1.3. the main ideological aim of Party of Freedom and Progress is promoting democratic and liberal values, advancing of liberal economic and political reforms in Belarus. European integration of Belarus and close cooperation with European financial and political institutions are two main basic international theses of the PFP political platform.
In the international politics Party of Freedom and Progress in 2013 became an affiliate member of Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE).{{Cite web|title=ALDE Member Parties|url=https://www.aldeparty.eu/alde_member_parties|access-date=2020-12-08|website=ALDE Party|language=en}} Its youth wing, Civil Forum, is a full member of Liberal Youth of Europe (LYMEC - youth wing of ALDE){{Cite news|title=Members|url=https://www.lymec.eu/members/member-organizations/members/|access-date=2020-12-08|website=LYMEC|language=en-US}} and International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY).{{Cite web|title=Our Members {{!}} IFLRY|url=https://www.iflry.com/our-members/|access-date=2020-12-08|language=en-US}}
PFP activities and electoral campaigns
Members of Party of Freedom and Progress have been active participating in electoral processes in Belarus.{{Cite web|last=Welle (www.dw.com)|first=Deutsche|title=Выбарчая шматпалярнасць беларускай апазіцыі {{!}} DW {{!}} 24.06.2008|url=https://www.dw.com/ru/%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%B1%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%8F-%D1%88%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8F%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%86%D1%8C-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B9-%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B7%D1%96%D1%86%D1%8B%D1%96/a-3437275|access-date=2020-12-08|website=DW.COM|language=ru-RU}}
During President elections 2020 Party of Freedom and Progress strongly support pro-democratic changes in Belarus. With its youth wing Civil Forum PFP initiated big civil campaign against the main pro-governmental newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussiya – Belarus' Segodnya accused it of political insult of Belarusians voted for alternative candidates and collects more than 11 000 signatures.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-01|title=Мининформ ответил на петицию о вынесении предупреждении газете "СБ. Беларусь Сегодня"|url=https://ru.hrodna.life/2020/07/01/sb-peticija/|access-date=2020-12-06|website=Hrodna.life - русская версия|language=ru-RU}} The independent observation mission during Presidential elections organized by Civil Forum and covering 40 election polls was the biggest young independent observation mission in Belarus. Observers detected big amount of violations on the election polls and published official report about it.{{Cite web|title=Черная книга белорусских выборов. Итоги кампании наблюдения от "Гражданского форума" {{!}} Гражданский форум|url=https://civilforum.by/chernaya-kniga-belorusskih-vyborov-itogi-kampanii-nablyudeniya-ot-grazhdanskogo-foruma/|access-date=2020-12-06|language=ru-RU}} During the elections Party called on voting against all candidates.{{Cite web|title=ПСП рекомендует голосовать против всех, демократическим силам начать консультации, а властям отказаться от насилия и начать диалог|url=http://www.liberaly.org/2020/07/31/psp-rekomenduet-golosovat-protiv-vsex-demokraticheskim-silam-nachat-konsultacii-a-vlastyam-otkazatsya-ot-nasiliya-i-nachat-dialog/|access-date=2020-12-06|website=ПСП|language=ru-RU}} But youth wing of Party, Civil Forum called to do "alternative democratic choice'.{{Cite web|title=За альтернативный демократический выбор! {{!}} Гражданский форум|url=https://civilforum.by/za-alternativnyj-demokraticheskij-vybor/|access-date=2020-12-06|language=ru-RU}} After President elections Party has been continuing to call for stop violence against peaceful demonstrators and for democratic political changes in cooperation with other opposition parties in Belarus.{{Cite news|date=2020-08-14|title=Демократическая общественность: победу одержала Светлана Тихановская, Лукашенко должен уйти {{!}} Борисовские новости|language=ru-RU|work=Борисовские новости|url=https://borisovnews.by/2020/08/14/demokraticheskaya-obshhestvennost-pobedu-oderzhala-svetlana-tihanovskaya-lukashenko-dolzhen-ujti/|access-date=2020-12-06}}
Notes
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External links
- {{Official website}}
{{Belarusian political parties}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2003 establishments in Belarus
Category:Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
Category:Liberal parties in Belarus
Category:Political parties established in 2003