Left: The Belarusian flag hoisted next to the Slovak flag. Right: Spišská Nová Ves Mayor Pavol Bečarik (left) and Belarusian Ambassador Andrei Dapkiunas. (source: Facebook)
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Spišská Nová Ves, eastern Slovakia, its Mayor Pavol Bečarik (SNS) and head of the local district office Branislav Rusiňák (Smer), invited Belarusian ambassador Andrei Dapkiunas and his wife for celebrations. Together, they laid wreaths and took pictures which appeared on the official Facebook page of the town, reports Korzár daily.
Moreover, the Belarusian flag was hoisted right next to the Slovak one. Many citizens and opposition town councillors alike were outraged by the action.
Resident: Why not Ukrainian ambassador?
According to the daily, in its Facebook post the town referenced historian Marcel Maniak, who said that the nationality of more than 50 dead Red Army soldiers is known. Half of them are Ukrainian, followed by Russians, four Kazakhs, and one Azerbaijani, Kyrgyz and Uzbek. Not much is known about the rest.
This prompted one resident to ask why the Belarusian ambassador was invited instead of the Ukrainian one. The Town Hall replied that the former was invited by Rusiňák.
"The town published a post on the official page. The state administration is separate from the local government, the town did not have to participate in this in any way. As a resident, I expected the town leadership to be sensitive to the context of today's geopolitical situation, and will consistently think about what message it is sending," the resident argued.
Recently, Alexander Lukashenko once again became the country's president in disputed elections. The EU has enacted sanctions against the country for its support of Russia in the invasion of Ukraine, as well as the repression and violation of human rights, among other things.
Town councillor Adnan Akram (Demokrati) also criticised the invitation, drawing attention to many Ukrainian refugees that found home in Spišská Nová Ves.
"Imagine you're a child that was forced to leave their home due to war and found refuge in Slovakia. You're walking across a square and you spot a Belarusian flag hoisted and people under it, some in uniform, during a ceremony," he said, that adding it must be traumatic as it belongs to a country "that helps Russia in the killing of Ukrainian civilians, including children".
More criticism
The councillor said that this is not the first time the mayor did something like this. In the past he wanted to use the town money to buy ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug. During the Covid-19 pandemic, misinformation claimed that the drug was effective for the treatment and prevention of the disease. He also allowed SNS chair Andrej Danko to talk to a crowd during a cultural event ahead of elections.
Town councillor Marek Baláž (KDH, DS, Spolu) also criticised the action, calling it immoral, not right and tarnishing the good name of Spišská Nová Ves.
Opposition councillors proposed and adopted a resolution condemning the mayor's actions on February 10. The resolution was adopted by 12 councillors, with one abstaining and four voting against. Its initiator, Baláž, says that while members of the Silná Spišská club hold differing views on issues such as the war in Ukraine, this matter united them.
"It was necessary to state that Spišská Nová Ves is not a city that engages with representatives of undemocratic regimes," said Baláž.
