People of science and culture came out against EAPL

Over 60 representatives of science and culture, founders of Sajudis, have appealed to the highest authorities of Lithuania and demanded they exclude Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (EAPL) from the ruling coalition. According to initiators the actions of EAPL were directed against Lithuania.

As has been written in the public proclamation, the work and declarations of the members of EAPL affronted the honour of people fighting and dying for freedom and independence of Lithuania in January, 1991. Ignoring the decisions issued by a court in South- East Lithuania discredits the democratic status of Lithuania.

One of all charges raised against EAPL is that EAPL’s representatives in Seimas and European Parliament are constantly lying about the legal situation in Lithuania claiming that “they are persecuted for using their national language. By constant repetition of the word ’discrimination‘, which they cannot prove, they are discrediting Lithuania in the eyes of international society”.

The undersigned state that EAPL incite to national hatred, which negatively influences the relationship between Lithuania and Poland.

The letter was signed by following scientists: Zigmas Zinkevičius, Antanas Tyla, Romualdas Grigas, Eugenijus Jovaiša, Antanas Buračas, pisarze Kazys Saja, Jonas Mikelinskas, Leonas Milčius, Romas Gudaitis, Petras Naraškevičius; activists from the world of culture: Viktoras Gerulaitis, Daiva Tamošaitytė, Regimantas Tamošaitis, Jonas Vilimas; scientists and philosophers: vice-rector of University of Warsaw Kęstutis Dubnikas, Vytautas Daujotis, Arūnas Bingelis, Kazimieras Garšva, Arvydas Janulaitis, Romas Batūra, Juozas Algimantas Krikštopaitis, Alvydas Butkus, Algirdas Degutis, Julius Šalkauskas, Vytenis Rimkus, Jonas Užurka; members of Sajudis: Nijolė Sadūnaitė, Algirdas Endriukaitis, Alfonsas Svarinskas, Algirdas Patackas; members of initiative groups of Sajudis: Romas Pakalnis, Bronislovas Kuzminskas, Bronislovas Genzelis, Romualdas Ozolas, Arvydas Juozaitis, Bronius Leonavičius, Vytautas Radžvilas, columnists: Edvardas Čiuldė, Linas Virginijus Medelis, Irena Vasinauskaitė, Mindaugas Kubilius, Živilė Makauskienė, as well as signatories and other famous people.

The group of initiators demands the exclusion of EAPL from the ruling coalition, taking deputy cards away from people who are in Seimas from the EAPL’s list because the party  run for the elections together with Russian Alliance and Kazimera Prunskienė’s Lithuanian People’s Party. In the opinion of the undersigned, EAPL should be registered as the coalition with the electoral threshold of 7%, not as an individual party with the electoral threshold of 5%.

The letter was sent to the president Dalia Grybauskaite, the leader of the Seimas Loreta Graužiniene, the Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius, the Minister for Defence Juozas Olekas and the head of the National Security and Defence Committee Artūras Paulauskas.

Source: http://pl.delfi.lt/aktualia/litwa/ludzie-kultury-i-nauki-wystapili-przeciwko-awpl.d?id=63915762

Tłumaczenie by Ewa Żakowska w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Ewa Żakowska within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.