Sushkevich's Pension Increased

Politician's foreign friends did not believe that the first leader of the country repeived pension of several cents.

As is known, in 1997 Lukashenka abolished Parliament's Decree on a life-long pension to the former Prime Minister and the head of State of 70-75% of the salary of the Acting Premier and speaker and signed a decree on "pension regulation for special services to the Belarusian people." It turned out that pensions for special services were mostly designed for heads of the Soviet Belarus, for example, former leaders of the Communist Party of Belarus Mikalai Sliunkou and Efrem Sakalou. Five former leaders of independent Belarus -Stanislau Shushkevich, Heorhi Tarazevich, Siamen Sharetski, Miechyslaw Hryb and Mikalai Chyhir - was frozen by Decree. In 1997 it equaled to 3 million 196 thousand of Belarusian rubles, and after the denomination in 1999 it made up BYR3200 per month. It has remained until recently, Narodnaya Volya writes.

It should be noted that Shushkevich argued that he did not want anything. But in 2002 he went to court, but his claim was rejected. He finally appealed to the Supreme Court, but got the answer: his pension is paid out in accordance with the law. And now his wife issued documents for an old-age pension. Now the first leader of Belarus will be paid out a little more than BYR4 million.

- It's a "trick" of my wife. We need money, but I've been recently done from a job perspective. I used to work a lot abroad, but now I have not enough health. I used to receive a pension of 1997 year that equaled to BYR3200 and did not change. And my wife has decided to take another way. I did not know anything. I authorized her to do what she needed (she did the same) and seized the moment. She issued documents for the old-age pension. Pension, by the way, could be higher, considering that I am an Honoured Science Worker and laureate of the State Prize, but social services said that it was not my case, the politician said.

- What was the reaction of your foreign friends when they discovered that your pension was about several cents?

- They could hardly believe it was possible.