Activists Meet Polish Prime Minister on IRI trip

June 13, 2003

Twelve young Belarusian political activists spent seven days with IRI in Poland observing and aiding campaigns for the recent Polish European Union referendum. The participants spent the first three days meeting with the chairman of the Central Election Commission of Poland, the chairman of the governmental campaign, and leaders of various political parties and organizations who were supporting the effort.

The participants then broke into three groups and ventured to Krakow, Bialystok and Torun where they worked with local NGOs to hand out materials and persuade voters to get out and vote. They then spent the final two days observing the elections as official guest election observers. On election night the participants attended a party with 300 other election workers including Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski. President Kwasniewski shook hands and posed for several photos with the enthralled Belarusians.

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