View source for BPF Party

{{Short description|Belarusian political party}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2010}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = BPF Party
| native_name      = Партыя БНФ
| native_name_lang = be
| abbreviation     = PBNF<br>ПБНФ
| logo             = Logo of the BPF Party.svg
| leader           = [[Vadzim Sarančukoŭ]]<ref>[http://narodny.org/?page_id=46 Старшыня i намесьнiкi старшыні Партыi БНФ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719143127/http://narodny.org/?page_id=46 |date=19 July 2018 }}{{in lang|be}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racyja.com/palityka/vadzim-saranchukou-partyya-bnf-pratsyagv/|title=Вадзім Саранчукоў: Партыя БНФ працягвае працаваць}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://euroradio.fm/be/partyya-bnf-pracyagvae-pracavac-u-belarusi-saranchukou|title=Партыя БНФ працягвае працаваць у Беларусі — Саранчукоў|access-date=20 November 2022|archive-date=20 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120124615/https://euroradio.fm/be/partyya-bnf-pracyagvae-pracavac-u-belarusi-saranchukou|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| founder          = [[Zianon Pazniak]]
| predecessor      = [[Belarusian Popular Front|Belarusian Popular Front "Adradžeńnie"]]
| foundation       = {{Start date and age|1993|5|30|df=yes}}
| banned           = {{start date and age|2023|8|14|df=yes}}
| membership_year  = 2009
| membership       = 1,819
| newspaper        = ''[[:be-x-old:Пагоня (1992)|Пагоня]]'',<br>''Svaboda''
| headquarters     = 3-39th Building, Čarnyšeŭskaha St, [[Minsk]], [[Belarus]]
| ideology         = {{ublist 
 | [[Belarusian nationalism]]<ref name="Korosteleva"/><ref>{{Citation |first=Andrei |last=Tarnauski |title=The Peculiarities of Party Politics in Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine: Institutionalization or Marginalization? |url=http://www.gbv.de/dms/hebis-darmstadt/toc/134765532.pdf|work=Political Parties in Post-Soviet Space |publisher=Praeger |year=2005 |page=45|isbn=9780275973445}}</ref>
 | [[Christian democracy]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Janusz |last=Bugajski |title=Political Parties of Eastern Europe: A Guide to Politics in a Post-Communist Era |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9gGKtLTQlUcC&pg=PA22 |isbn=978-1-56324-676-0 |publisher=[[Center for Strategic and International Studies]]|year=2002 |pages=23–24}}</ref><ref name="Nordsieck">{{cite web|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.de/belarus.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709025600/http://www.parties-and-elections.de/belarus.html|archive-date=9 July 2011|url-status=dead|title=Belarus|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|date=2008}}</ref>
 | [[Liberal conservatism]]
 | [[Pro-Europeanism]]
 | [[Anti-communism]]
 | [[Anti-imperialism]]
}}
| youth_wing       = [[BPF Youth]]
| position         = {{nowrap|[[Centre-right]]<ref name="Aljazeera2012">{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/09/201292483148199198.html|work=[[Aljazeera.com|Al Jazeera]]|title=Belarus ballot box boycott divides opposition|last=Bollier|first=Sam|date=24 September 2012}}</ref> to [[right-wing]]<ref name="Korosteleva">{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HPjVRSvhFRAC&pg=PA38|title=Postcommunist Belarus|chapter=The Emergence of a Party System|last=Korosteleva|first=Elena|author-link=Elena Korosteleva|page=38|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]]|date=2005|isbn=0-7425-3555-X}}</ref>}}
| national         = [[Belarusian Independence Bloc]]<br>[[United Democratic Forces of Belarus]]
| international    = [[International Democracy Union]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.idu.org/members/|title=Members &#124; International Democracy Union|date=1 February 2018}}</ref>
| european         = [[European Conservatives and Reformists Party]] (global partner)<ref name="Welcome to our new member parties">{{Cite web|url=http://www.acreurope.eu/item/acre_welcomes_our_new_member_parties|title=Welcome to our new member parties|access-date=11 April 2017|archive-date=26 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526165257/https://www.acreurope.eu/item/acre_welcomes_our_new_member_parties|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| europarl         = 
| seats1_title     = [[House of Representatives of Belarus|House of Representatives]]:
| seats1           = {{Composition bar|0|110|hex=#CE2029}}
| seats2_title     = [[Council of the Republic of Belarus|Council of the Republic]]:
| seats2           = {{Composition bar|0|64|hex=#CE2029}}
| colours          = {{color box|{{party color|BPF Party}}|border=darkgray}} [[Red]]<br>{{color box|#FFFFFF|border=darkgray}} [[White]]
| colorcode        = {{party color|BPF Party}}
| website          = {{Official URL}}
| slogan           = "[[Long Live Belarus!]]"<br />({{langx|be|«Жыве Беларусь!»}})
| flag             = [[File:Flag of Belarus (w-r-w) with Arms (2020).svg|border|200px]]
| country          = Belarus
}}
{{Belarusian nationalism}}
The '''BPF Party'''{{efn|"BPF" is derived from a translation of its former name, namely the "Belarusian Popular Front",<ref name="Aljazeera2012" /> and not the [[Romanization of Belarusian|romanization]] of the Belarusian acronym {{lang|be|БНФ}} (which is romanized "BNF").}} ({{langx|be|Партыя БНФ|Partyja BNF}}; {{langx|ru|Партия БНФ|Partiya BNF}}) is a banned [[list of political parties in Belarus|political party]] in [[Belarus]]. It was ''de facto'' established after the split of the [[social movement]] [[Belarusian Popular Front]] ([[Abbreviation|abbr.]] BPF; {{langx|be|Беларускі Народны Фронт "Адраджэньне"|Bielaruski Narodny Front "Adradžeńnie"|links=no}}, {{lang|be|БНФ}}) in 1999. The Belarusian Popular Front was founded during the [[Perestroika]] era by members of the Belarusian [[intelligentsia]], including [[Vasil Bykaŭ]]. Its first and most charismatic leader was [[Zianon Pazniak]].

After a 2005 decree by president [[Alexander Lukashenko]] on the restriction of the usage of the words ''{{Lang|be|Беларускі}}'' ("Belarusian") and ''{{Lang|be|Народны}}'' ("National", "Popular", "People's") in the names of political parties and movements,<ref>http://pravo.by/webnpa/text_txt.asp?RN=P30500247 О дополнительных мерах по упорядочению использования слов «национальный» и «белорусский»</ref> the party had to change its official name to "BPF Party".

==Early history==
{{Main|Belarusian Popular Front}}

The Belarusian Popular Front was established in 1988 as both a political party and a cultural movement, following the examples of the [[Popular Front of Estonia]], [[Popular Front of Latvia]] and the Lithuanian pro-democracy movement [[Sąjūdis]]. Membership was declared open to all Belarusian citizens as well as any democratic organization.

Its alleged goals are democracy and independence through national rebirth and rebuilding after the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]]. The main idea of the Front was the [[Romantic nationalism|revival]] of the national idea, including a revival of the [[Belarusian language]]. Initially, its orientation was pro-Western with a great deal of scepticism towards [[Russia]].{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

The party was in favour of removing Russian as an official language in Belarus. Russian became an official language following the [[1995 Belarusian referendum]], at the beginning of Lukashenko's rule, when a proposal for making Russian a state language received 83.3% support from the turnout.

[[File:Kurapaty 1989 meeting.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A meeting at [[Kurapaty]] in 1989 organized by the Belarusian Popular Front]]
Among the significant achievements of the Front was the uncovering of the burial site of [[Kurapaty]] near [[Minsk]]. The Front claims that the [[NKVD]] performed extrajudicial killings there.

Initially, the Front had significant visibility because of its numerous public actions that almost always ended in clashes with police and [[KGB]]. It was BPF parliamentarians who convinced the [[Supreme Council of Belarus]] (the interim Belarusian parliament) to restore the [[National symbols of Belarus#Historical symbols|previously used Belarusian symbols]]: the [[white-red-white flag]] and the ''Pahonia'' [[coat of arms]], modelled after the [[Coat of arms of Lithuania]].{{citation needed|date=November 2010}} During Soviet-times people faced arrest in the streets for displaying white-red-white symbols in Belarus.{{citation needed|date=November 2010}}

In 1994 the BPF formed a so-called "shadow" cabinet consisting of 100 BPF intellectuals. Its first Prime Minister was {{Interlanguage link|Vladimir Zablotsky|pl|3=Uładzimir Zabłocki}}. It originally contained 18 commissions that published ideas and proposed laws and plans for restructuring the government and economy. Its last economic reform proposal was published in 1999. In opposition to [[Alexander Lukashenko]]'s government, the party supports Belarus' entry into [[NATO]] and the [[European Union]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.svaboda.org/a/24846735.html|title=БЕЛАРУСЬ ПАВІННА СТАЦЬ СЯБРОМ НАТО І ЭЎРАЗЬВЯЗУ, — МЯРКУЕ БНФ|first=Радыё|last=Свабода|date=16 January 2013|via=www.svaboda.org}}</ref>

==1999 split==

[[Image:Coat of Arms of Belarus (1991).svg|thumb|left|100px|[[Coat of arms of Belarus|Pahonia]], the historical Coat of Arms of Belarus]]
In the late 1990s, the Popular Front split into two parties, both of which claim to be the legitimate continuation of the original BPF. The party's conservative wing under [[Zianon Pazniak]] became the [[Conservative Christian Party – BPF]] ({{langx|be|Кансэрватыўна-Хрысьціянская Партыя - БНФ|Kanservatyŭna-Chryścijanskaja Partyja BNF}}) while the moderate majority became today's BPF Party.

==Modern history, participation in elections==
At the [[2004 Belarusian parliamentary election|2004 legislative election]] the party was part of the [[People's Coalition 5 Plus]] (''Narodnaja Kaalicyja Piaciorka Plus''), which did not secure any seats. These elections fell (according to the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|OSCE]]/ODIHR Election Observation Mission<ref>{{Cite web |title=REPUBLIC OF BELARUS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 17 October 2004 OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission Final Report |url=http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2004/12/3951_en.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060108064649/http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2004/12/3951_en.pdf |archive-date=2006-01-08 |access-date=2023-09-09 |website=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe}}</ref>) significantly short of OSCE commitments. Universal principles and constitutionally guaranteed rights of expression, association and assembly were seriously violated, calling into question the Belarusian authorities’ willingness to respect the concept of political competition on a basis of equal treatment. According to this mission, the principles of an inclusive democratic process, whereby citizens have the right to seek political office without discrimination, candidates to present their views without obstruction, and voters to learn about them and discuss them freely, were largely ignored.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

In October 2005 [[Alaksandar Milinkievič]], a candidate proposed by the BPF and Zialonyja ([[Belarusian Green Party]]) was elected the common democratic candidate for the [[2006 Belarusian presidential election|2006 Presidential election]].{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

During the [[2010 Belarusian presidential election|2010 presidential election]] the BPF Party nominated its own candidate for the presidency, [[Ryhor Kastusiou]], who was then the Deputy Chairman of the BPF Party. According to the official results, he gained 1.97% of the votes.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

In 2011, following an internal conflict, more than 90 further members left BPF Party, including several prominent veterans of the original [[Belarusian Popular Front]], such as [[Lyavon Barshchewski]], [[:be-x-old:Юры Хадыка|Jury Chadyka]], [[Vincuk Viačorka]]. This was sometimes described as a "second split" of the Belarusian Popular Front.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://euroradio.fm/report/yanukevich-pazbegnuts-raskolu-partyi-bnf-bylo-nemagchyma-54409 |title=Янукевіч: Пазбегнуць расколу Партыі БНФ было немагчыма |publisher=Euroradio.fm |year=2011 |access-date=2 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nv-online.info/by/150/politics/27351/ |title=У партыі БНФ раскол |publisher=[[Narodnaja Volya (newspaper)|Narodnaja Volia]] |year=2011 |access-date=2 June 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In the Congress in September 2017, the new party leader [[Ryhor Kastusioŭ]] has been elected. The Congress decided also to nominate [[Alaksiej Janukievich|Alaksiej Janukievič]] and Belarusian-American attorney {{Interlanguage link|Juraś Ziankovič|be|Юрась Зянковіч}} to the presidential office in the next elections. The final decision about the only candidate has to be made in the future.

On 12 April 2021, Kastusiou was reported to have been arrested<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://charter97.org/en/news/2021/4/13/418356/|title = BPF Party Head Ryhori Kastusiou Detained}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://belsat.eu/en/news/13-04-2021-ex-presidential-candidate-kastusiou-arrested-in-shklou-taken-to-kgb-prison/|title = Ex-presidential candidate Kastusiou arrested in Shklou, taken to KGB prison}}</ref> by the [[State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus|Belarusian KGB]] as part of its crackdown on protestors following the results of the [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]]. Officially Kastusiou and BPF members were accused of trying to organise an illegal coup (in which president Alexander Lukashenko was to be assassinated); the Russian [[Federal Security Service|FSB]] together with the KGB have claimed their arrests did prevent the coup to happen.<ref name="7292711LcaUaa">{{in lang|uk}} [https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2021/05/6/7292711/ One of the defendants in the "assassination attempt on Lukashenko" case is seeking refugee status in Ukraine], [[Ukrayinska Pravda]] (6 May 2021)</ref> On 5 September 2022, Kastusiou was sentenced to 10 years in jail by the [[Minsk]] Regional Court.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://spring96.org/en/news/108924 |title=Philosopher Aliaksandr Fiaduta sentenced to 10 years in jail |publisher=[[Viasna Human Rights Centre]] |year=2011 |access-date=8 September 2022 }}</ref>

On 14 August 2023 the BPF Party was banned by the Supreme Court of Belarus.<ref>[https://belsat.eu/news/14-08-2023-vyarhouny-sud-zlikvidavau-partyyu-bnf Вярхоўны Суд зліквідаваў Партыю БНФ]</ref>

=== Presidential elections ===
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|-
! rowspan="2" |'''Election'''
! rowspan="2" |Candidate
! colspan="2" scope="col" |First round
! colspan="2" |Second round
! rowspan="2" |Result
|-
!'''Votes'''
!'''%'''
!'''Votes'''
!'''%'''
|-
![[1994 Belarusian presidential election|1994]]
|{{no2|[[Zianon Pazniak]]}}
|757,195	
|{{Percentage bar|12.82|hex=9F1600}}
|bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=2|
|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}
|-
!''[[1999 Belarusian presidential election|1999]]''
|[[Zianon Pazniak]]
|bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=5|'''No winner announced'''
|-
![[2001 Belarusian presidential election|2001]]
|{{no2|Endorsed [[Uładzimir Hančaryk]]<ref>http://ediro.ru/istoriya-partii/istoriya-partii/istoriya-partiya-bnf.html История Партия БНФ</ref>}}
|965,261
|{{Percentage bar|15.65|hex=AAAAAA}}
|bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=2|
|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}
|-
![[2006 Belarusian presidential election|2006]]
|{{no2|Endorsed [[Alaksandar Milinkievič]]}}
|405,486
|{{Percentage bar|6.12|hex=C12D2D}}
|bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=2|
|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}
|-
![[2010 Belarusian presidential election|2010]]
|{{no2|[[Ryhor Kastusioŭ]]}}
|126,999
|{{Percentage bar|1.97|hex=9F1600}}
|bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=2|
|'''Lost''' {{Nay}}
|-
![[2015 Belarusian presidential election|2015]]
|colspan=6| Did not contest
|-
![[2020 Belarusian presidential election|2020]]
|{{no2|[[Alaksiej Janukievich]]}}
|colspan=5| Not admitted to the elections
|-
|}

===Legislative elections===
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|-
! rowspan="2" |Election
! rowspan="2" |Leader
! colspan="5" scope="col" |Performance
! rowspan="2" |Rank
! rowspan="2" |Government
|-
!Votes
!%
!+/–
!Seats
!+/–
|-
![[1995 Belarusian parliamentary election|1995]]
| rowspan="1" |[[Zianon Pazniak]]
| rowspan="1" colspan="3" |
|{{composition bar|0|260|hex=#9F1600}}
|New
|17th
|{{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
![[2000 Belarusian parliamentary election|2000]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Vincuk Viačorka]]
| colspan="6" |Did not contest
|{{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
![[2004 Belarusian parliamentary election|2004]]
|200,033
|{{Percentage bar|3.33|hex=9F1600}}
|New
|{{composition bar|0|110|hex=#9F1600}}
|{{steady}} 0
|{{increase}} 5th
|{{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
![[2008 Belarusian parliamentary election|2008]]
| rowspan="1" |[[Lyavon Barshchewski]]
|72,770
|{{Percentage bar|1.35|hex=9F1600}}
|{{decrease}} 1.98
|{{composition bar|0|110|hex=#9F1600}}
|{{steady}} 0
|{{steady}} 5th
|{{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
![[2012 Belarusian parliamentary election|2012]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Alaksiej Janukievich]]
|2,789
|{{Percentage bar|0.05|hex=9F1600}}
|{{decrease}} 1.30
|{{composition bar|0|110|hex=#9F1600}}
|{{steady}} 0
|{{decrease}} 8th
|{{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
![[2016 Belarusian parliamentary election|2016]]
|88,511
|{{Percentage bar|1.72|hex=9F1600}}
|{{increase}} 1.67
|{{composition bar|0|110|hex=#9F1600}}
|{{steady}} 0
|{{increase}} 6th
|{{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
![[2019 Belarusian parliamentary election|2019]]
| rowspan="1" |[[Ryhor Kastusioŭ]]
|82,403
|{{Percentage bar|1.56|hex=9F1600}}
|{{decrease}} 0.16
|{{composition bar|0|110|hex=#9F1600}}
|{{steady}} 0
|{{decrease}} 7th
|{{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
|}

==International relations==
The party became an associate member of the [[International Democracy Union]] in 2007.

It was an observer member of the [[European People's Party]] until 2017. Since 7 April 2017 the party is a member of the [[Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe]].<ref name="Welcome to our new member parties"/> Its youth wing, [[BPF Youth]], is a member of the [[European Young Conservatives]].

==Chairman==
* 2021&ndash;Current [[Vadzim Sarančukoŭ]]
*2017&ndash;2021: [[Ryhor Kastusioŭ]]
*2009&ndash;2017: [[Alaksiej Janukievich]]
*2007&ndash;2009: [[Lyavon Barshchewski]]<ref name=nby259>[http://91.149.157.125/rubrics/english/2009/09/07/ic_articles_259_164364/ "Belarusian Popular Front elects new chairman"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706053632/http://91.149.157.125/rubrics/english/2009/09/07/ic_articles_259_164364/ |date=6 July 2011 }}</ref>
*1999&ndash;2007: [[Vincuk Viačorka]]

==See also==
*[[Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic]] - the Belarusian government in exile
*[[Conservative Christian Party – BPF]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Official website}} {{in lang|be|en}}
{{Belarusian political parties}}
{{Fall of Communism}}
{{Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1988 establishments in Belarus]]
[[Category:1988 establishments in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:European Conservatives and Reformists Party member parties]]
[[Category:Banned political parties in Belarus]]
[[Category:Belarusian opposition]]
[[Category:Belarusian nationalism]]
[[Category:Conservative parties in Belarus]]
[[Category:International Democracy Union member parties]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1988]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 2023]]
[[Category:Political parties in Belarus]]
[[Category:Political parties in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic]]
[[Category:Popular fronts in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Pro-independence parties in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Pro-European political parties in Belarus]]
[[Category:Right-wing parties in Europe]]
[[Category:Right-wing politics in Belarus]]
[[Category:Liberal conservative parties]]