- February 10, 2014
- 237
W.Tomaszewski: Daily Kubiliusa’s and other conservatives lies are becoming a norm
Today communicate has been publicized, in which the leader of LLRA, member of the European Parliament, Waldemar Tomaszewski, expressed his regrets concerning another attack of a conservative, A. Kubiliusa, toward LLRA, and the continued course of instigating ethnic feuds in the country.
‘Today, during press conference opened in the Sejm, conservative Andrius Kubilius didn’t fail to use the chance to attack his opponents, instigate ethnic feuds and, as something that in his case became a norm, disseminating false information. A. Kubilius accused Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (LLRA) of causing tension in Polish – Lithuanian relations – even when the fact is that polish citizens are only defending themselves from persecutions, huge fines and demand for the regulation of national minorities’ rights, which were in force from 1991 to 2010’ – we read in the statement.
LLRA leader pointed out, that a few years back the Act concerning national minorities that provided national communities in Lithuania wide range of rights and according to which bilingual names were legal, was revoked.
‘Once again I would like to remind that in 29 January 1991, after bloody January events in Lithuania, Supreme Council approved amendment of the Act on national minorities which guaranteed national minorities wide range of rights e.g. the right to use native language in country’s public life, information and other signs in the language of national minorities alongside the national language. The Act signed no other then country leader of that time, current conservatives spiritual leader Vytautas Landsbergis. It is at that time that in Soleczniki and Vilnius region, in absolutely legal way, street names and information signs in polish language showed up – alongside national language. Unfortunately, ruling party at that time with A. Kubilius in lead in 2010 annulled the Act on national minorities, and A. Skaistys, plenipotentiary of the government in Vilnius region, one of the leaders of conservative party, currently candidate to European Parliament, started legal disputes because of bilingual names with administration of regional authorities of Vilnius and Soleczniki – despite the principle of ‘irretroactivity of law.’ Names, as we can see, were placed in accordance with the law and cannot be removed without adopting a new legislative act’ – accentuates W. Tomaszewski.
Conservatives’ attacks against LLRA, group’s chairman explains as fear caused by the loss of electorate.
‘Nonetheless, A. Kubilius, A. Skaitys and other conservatives do not care about law – they care only about rankings. They started unprecedented fight with national minorities, because they want to gain popularity in specified layer of our society. Conservatives felt fear because of raising popularity of LLRA and the fact that more and more voters, including ethnic Lithuanians, advocate this political power. Currently A. Kubilius tries to put the cart before the horse: he tries to shift the responsibility for inception of tension onto national minorities – even though the national communities only defend their rights, which were accrued to them for 19 years of independence, i.e. for the most time of Independent Lithuania’ – claims Member of the European Parliament W. Tomaszewski.
W. Tomaszewski criticised A. Kubilius and his team because of often false statements, he submitted, that the A. Kubilius statement that Deputy Minister of Energy R. Cytacka allegedly removed Lithuanian version of a street name from her private possession is another false allegation.
‘What is more, A. Kubilius and his team still rise discords, perpetrate lies in public space, slander polish national minority. Last week, one of the conservative party leaders A. Bilotaitė publicly calumniated Vilnius Regional Authority: (Samorząd Rejonu Wileńskiego) she was talking about allegedly not the best economic situation in the region. Official data and results of public researches unequivocally show that Vilnius region is one of the most resiliently and the most dynamically developing region in Lithuania. Economic indicators place Vilnius region in the first ten of the Lithuanian authorities. Slander made by A. Bilotaitė, who repeats A. Kubilius lies, was corrected by mer of the Vilnius Regional Authority, Maria Rekść in a precise and well-argued manner. Unfortunately, A. Kubilius still spreads lies: for example, he stated today that Deputy Minister of Energy R. Cytacka lied commenting the statement made by D. Grybauskaitė on the European Parliament forum, although Deputy Minister’s article is based on facts, what was accentuated by one of the commentators. During today press conference A. Kubilius lied saying that R. Cytacka removed from her house the street name in Lithuanian language. The facts are that on the Deputy Minister’s possession are still two street names: in Lithuanian (Mykolo Balinskio g.) and Polish (ul. Michała Balińskiego)’ – we read in the statement.
Current situation of the conservative party W. Tomaszewski describes as hard and expresses his grief because A. Kubilius ignores opinion of the representatives of Lithuanian intelligence.
‘Conservatives with A. Kubilius on lead are unusually afraid of tendency, which points at the diminishing support from the voters and the fact that more and more Lithuanians vote for LLRA, who developed opinion of being a conscientious party, a party whose members were never involved in any corruption scandal, and they do not only defend Christian values but use them in their daily life. Conservatives’ fear and lies caused by that fear are not anything new, but conservatives party situation is actually quite complicated: in fear of devastating defeat, the group not only was unable to put up a candidate for presidency, but does not react on propositions and appeals of level-headed people. Not long ago, members of Jerzy Giedroyc Dialog and Cooperation Forum (Forum Dialogu i Współpracy Jerzego Giedroycia) appealed to national politicians, including A. Kubilis, with a request for not rising the tension and taking action toward accepting the Act on national minorities. Unfortunately, today conference points out that A. Kubilius is ignoring Jerzy Giedroyc Dialog and Cooperation Forum (Forum Dialogu i Współpracy Jerzego Giedroycia) appeal, not providing for opinion and propositions of level-headed people and along with A. Staistys, is still aiming to rise the tension and instigating ethnic feuds in Lithuania’ – declared Waldemar Tomaszewski, LLRA leader and Member of the European Parliament.
On the grounds of BNS
Tłumaczenie by Kamil Żerek w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Kamil Żerek within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.
