AWPL-ZCHR will go with Russians to the elections

Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance (AWPL-ZCHR) in the municipal elections on March 3 will occur, including coalition with the Russian Alliance – informed on Tuesday the chairman of the grouping, MEP Waldemar Tomaszewski.

“Not everyone likes it, we understand that (…), but if not our joint work over the last 10 years, we certainly would not have 36 Polish middle schools (which is 10% of the total), seven Russians middle schools and one Belarussian “- Tomaszewski said at a press conference.

As he added, the cooperation of national minorities in the country has been going on, since the 90s of the last century, since the regains time of Lithuania independence.

“Our opponents wanted to unite people based on nationalism. They were saying, that here is no Poles at all. And this consolidation took place because the national minorities, not only Poland, felt threatened, “said the AWPL-ZCHR chairman.

Tomaszewski noted that “the united forces of national minorities under the banner of AWPL celebrated their first success in 1995”. “In Vilnius, we earned 11 seats, in Visaginas – 6, in Klaipeda – 4. Not everyone likes it and in 1996 an election threshold was introduced for the party of national minorities”, 5-percentage, which so far has not been in force – indicated Tomaszewski.

AWPL-ZCHR with the Russian Alliance has been closely cooperates since 2008. “Through this enormous effort to unite at the ballot boxes we have a parliamentary club, which is a protective umbrella for our operation” – pointed out Tomaszewski.

For the upcoming municipal elections of AWPL-ZCHR, for a place of councillors, 10 local governments will compaing; six of them starts in a coalition with Russian Alliance. AWPL-ZCHR will occur in the Districts of: Zarasai, Ignalina, Širvintos and Elektrėnai, together with the Russian Alliance in Vilnius, Visaginas, Districts of Vilinius, Šalčininkai, Švenčionys and Trakai.

On its website, the AWPL-ZCHR informs that in general, there is 337 people, who take part from their electoral lists and 128 candidates from Russian Alliance lists.

“In the municipal elections, AWPL-ZCHR starts together with the Association of Poles in Lithuania, the Association of Polish School Teachers in Lithuania ‘Macierz Szkolna’, Parents’ Forum, many other Polish organizations as well as in cooperation with organizations of other national minorities and Lithuanian communities,” – we read on the awpl.lt announcement.

The municipal elections in Lithuania will take place on March 3.