Alexander Dabravolski


Alexander Alherdavich Dabravolski is a Belarusian politician, lawyer, and radio physicist.
He helped found the United Democratic Party of Belarus and became involved in the opposition, serving as the vice-chairman of United Civil Party from 1995 to 2006. He is currently the director of the East European School of Political Studies and a member of the Political Council of the United Civil Party.

Education and family

Dabravolski was born in Sula, Minsk Voblast, Byelorussian SSR, and attended Belarusian State University. In 1982, he graduated from the Radio Physical Department, and in 1995 he graduated from the Department of Law.
His wife is a teacher and his son and daughter are both students.

Career

He worked as an engineer-designer and a scientific fellow from 1982 to 1989 before he was elected as an MP of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to represent the Minsk territorial district in 1989. He spent time working in the Committee on Industry before serving as Vice-Chairman in the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms.
In the First Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, he became a member of the Inter-regional Deputy Group - the first democratic parliamentary opposition in the USSR where he worked with Andrei Sakharov, Boris Yeltsin, Anatoly Sobchak, and Vasil Bykov. He was one of the founders of the United Democratic Party of Belarus, established in 1990. The UDPB was the first opposition political party registered in Belarus.
From 1991 to 1995, he was the Chairman of the UDPB. In 1995, the UDPB merged with the Civil Party, forming the United Civil Party. He was soon elected as Vice-Chairman of the UCP. He served as the Deputy Director of the Independent Institute of Socio-Economic and Political Studies during this time from 1992 to 1995.
In the same year the elections to the Supreme Council of Belarus were held, the UCP created a parliamentary faction called "Civil action". Alexander Dabravolski was elected as an MP of the Supreme Council and headed the Subcommittee on Mass Media. In 1996 he was a representative of an MP group in the Constitutional Court for the impeachment of President Alexander Lukashenko.
In 2001, he was the Deputy Chairman of Headquarters of the United Opposition Single Candidate for President Vladimir Goncharik. In 2006, he was again Deputy Chairman of Headquarters of United Opposition Single Candidate for President Alexander Milinkevich.
From 2007 to 2008, he was a member of the Presidium of Political Council of the United Democratic Forces of Belarus. In 2007, he was elected Chairman of the Board. He has been the Director of East European School of Political Studies since 2008.

Publications