YCSU Young Democrats

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Founded
Founded:	1997
Chairman:	Aliaksandr Shumkevich

Youth Christian Social Union Young Democrats is a youth christian democratic organisation from Belarus. Since 2004 it has a permanent observer status in the YEPP - Youth of the European People's Party. ^[1] YCSU-Young Democrats was admitted as observer member of the European Christian Political Youth Network in 2004 too. ^[2]

Contents 1 History 2 Political activities 3 Board 3.1 Current Board 3.2 Previous leaders 4 References

[edit] History

Youth Christian Social Union was founded in 1997 and officially registered by Ministry of Justice of Belarus at the period of 1998 – 2003, but than on the eve of Parliamentary elections has lost its legal status when Supreme Court made a decision on liquidation of YCSU Young Democrats based on the suit of the Ministry of Justice.^[3][4] The main reason for that was that YCSU Young Democrats members got involved in political campaigning for oppositional candidates and street actions. ^[5][6][7][8] In 2002 Youth Christian Social Union merged with Youth of the United Civil Party of Belarus and a new brand YCSU Young Democrats was created. ^[9]For the period of 2002-2008 YCSU Young Democrats was cooperating with the United Civil Party of Belarus, but at the last congress the decision was taken to work as an independent youth organisation. Some members of YCSU Young Democrats did not support the decision to restrain cooperation with United Civil Party, left YCSU Young Democrats, and stayed in UCP Youth.

After a congress of 2009 when was taken the decicion to support Milinkevich as a candidate for the forthcoming elections, YSCU Young Democrats made one more attempt to gain a legal status, but Minisrty of Justice of Belarus declined, and Supreme Court supported decicion of the Ministry. ^[10][11]

[edit] Political activities

2000. Independent observation over the Parliamentary elections under the aegis of OSCE. YCSU supported the decision of majority of democratic organizations to take an active part in campaign of boycott of the unfree and undemocratic "parliamentary elections". 2001. at the time of Prsidential elections in Belarus YCSU formed a “Peramenaw!“ (For Changes) coalition with other youth organisations, including Young Front, the Association of Belarusian Students, the Association of Young Entrepreneurs, Young Hramada, the UCP Youth, the Belarusian Association of Young Politicians^[12]. YSCU activists took part in work in headquarters, independent observation, and mobilization campaigns. YSCU supported Aliaksandr Yaroshuk and Vladimir Goncharik

2003. Active participation in local elections (as candidates, volunteers and managers). A number of members of the organization became the deputies of the local councils in cities including Mogilev, Rogachev and others.^[13]

2006. During Prsidential elections YCSU Young Democrats supported Milinkevich as a single opposition candidate for the 2006 Presidential election. After the election results were broadcasted, YCSU Young Democrats took an active part in Jeans Revolution. 10 members of YCSU Young Democrats were arrested when police attacked tent camp erected on October Square in Minsk.

2008. At Parliamentary elections YCSU Young Democrats had 3 candidates in the united list of 110 oppositional candidates. Aliaksandr Shumkevich in Maladzyechna, Anna Yhorava in Minsk, Artur Tsurbakou in Gomel^[14]. But according to the official results the oppositional parties failed to gain any of the 110 available seats, all of which were given to parties and non-partisan candidates loyal to president Alexander Lukashenko. Aliaksandr Shumkevich received 5566 votes, 10,39% of all votes in Maladzyechna^[15]

2009 YCSU Young Democrats was amongst founders of Belarusian Independence Bloc.

Since its establishment, numerous activists of YCSU Young Democrats were arrested and inprisoned by Belarus police and KGB because of their political activeness.^[16][17]

The main goal of YCSU Young Democrats is preparation on new generation of policymakers in Belarus.

[edit] Board

[edit] Current Board

Aliaksandr Shumkevich - chairman

Artur Tsurbakou - deputy chairman

Aliaksandr Kuushunau - international secretary

[edit] Previous leaders

Kiryll Ignatsik

Uladzimer Chyrvonenka

Andrey Kazakevich

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.yepp-online.net/memberorg.php
2. ^ http://www.ecpyn.org/l/library/download/6450
3. ^ http://spring96.org/en/news/11927/
4. ^ http://www.efc.be/cgi-bin/articlepublisher.pl?filename=ET-SE-01-04-1.html
5. ^ http://www.belreview.cz/articles/2692.html
6. ^ http://www.csce.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=UserGroups.Home&ContentRecord_id=188&ContentType=S&ContentRecordType=S&UserGroup_id=56&Subaction=ByDate&CFID=18849146&CFTOKEN=53
7. ^ http://charter97.org/eng/news/2003/10/27/usa
8. ^ http://www.ilhr.org/ilhr/regional/belarus/updates/BU-2003-PDF/Vol.6.No.2.Oct.29.2003.pdf
9. ^ http://www.yepp-online.net/images/dbimages/docs/resolution_belarus_copy_1.doc
10. ^ http://www.en.civicbelarus.eu/content/download/531/3566/file/MONITORING%20Assembly%20_March-June%202009.pdf
11. ^ http://belngo.info/download/FreedomAssocBelarus_Assembly_Report_03-06.2009.pdf
12. ^ http://kamunikat.h2.pl/download.php?item=1972-14.pdf&pubref=1972
13. ^ http://spring96.org/files/book/2003_review_en.pdf
14. ^ http://www.rec.gov.by/elect/ppns4/ppns4_o_vidv.html
15. ^ http://www.rec.gov.by/elect/ppns4/ppns4_predv_itogi.html
16. ^ http://internationaljrn.blogspot.com/2007/03/increased-persecution-of-belarus.html
17. ^ http://belarus-live.eu/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/download.php?id=BelarusLive_27.02.-05.03.2009_EN.pdf