District police sheriff of the Moskovsky station Dmitriev was deprived of his bonus money on the basis of a complaint of a ZUBR activist Nikita Sasima. Dmitriev detained Sasima on May 5 for distributing special issues of the “Nasha Svaboda” newspaper. He took from a lad 180 copies of “NS”. ZUBR petitioned Moskovsky police station’s chief with a complaint over this arbitrary arrest. The leadership didn’t give the man a credit for this act and ruled to rid him of the bonus money. Hopefully, this will be an exemplary lesson for those law-enforcers, who haven’t realized yet that new era is coming.
Today many independent experts and political observers are seeking an answer to the question how Alexander Lukashenko manages to fund his PR actions during the de-facto commenced presidential election campaign. For example, the 2nd All-Belarusian assembly has reportedly cost $300thsd. One should bear in mind that the event wasn’t scheduled during the elaboration of 2001 budget. Similar is the situation around the widely advertised increase in salaries this year to $100. And hardly the tax-payers’ were originally supposed to allocate money for financing “masterpieces” of Azarenok, Zimovsky, Novikov and Co.
Russian media outlets, such as Kommersant, Lenta.ru, Gazeta.ru and other mass media sources actively comment on the sensational mail of the procuracy detectives, accusing Belarusian regime of perpetrating abductions and murders of prominent people. Gazeta.ru, for instance, published an article, entitled “President Commands a Death Squad”. “Alexander Lukashenko may fall prey to the political scandal and get defeated at the presidential elections, though all forecasts prophesize of his victory. On Monday Belarusian newspapers and human rights organizations were emailed letters with procuracy agents’ confessions about Lukashenko giving out orders to numerously kidnap people. The feedback, provoked by the publication of former procuracy staffers’ missive, is even now compared to the confusion, produced by Gongadze case in Ukraine.”
Today is the deadline for registration of the candidates’ initiative groups. Overall 17 individuals plan to take part in the presidential elections. By June 21 the Central Electoral Commission is obliged to announce the result, for it is from this date that the second phase of the marathon will be put in action – collection of signatures in support of the nominees.
United Civil Party leader Anatoly Lebedko was detained today in Dzerjinsk (Minsk region) during another UCP action, held within the general motion “Want to know truth!” Lebedko and four other activists were hunted down by 8 police vehicles full of cops with dogs.
Recently deputy head of the presidential Administration Yuri Sivakov told the chosen journalists his opinion about the scandalous interview, given by procuracy investigators Petrushkevich and Sluchek, in which they divulge sensational details of disappearance cases. Needless to say that former Interior Minister categorically denied his alleged implication in the assassinations of Yuri Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky and Dmitry Zavadsky.
Yesterday Alexander Lukashenko submitted to the Central Electoral Committee his initiative group’s registration documents. Before he almost rid himself of his main adversary – Natalya Masherova. Now there’s only one thing that can possibly prevent Lukashenko from winning in Sept. 9 ballot – the Gongadze-type scandal, which is picking up speed in Belarus.
Alexander Lukashenko’s submission of his group’s registration plea can be invalidated due to the violation of electoral legislation: June 14 morning, during his visit to the Central Electoral Committee, the independent journalists were not allowed to follow the man inside. Meantime, as stressed by the CEC secretary Nikolai Lozovik, CEC chair Lydia Ermoshina assured the president that the commission would strictly comply with the constitutional law.
“I’m not trying to exert pressure on anyone, but after the elections we will decide who we should cooperate with,” – declared Lukashenko. According to him, opposition is promoting itself by paying Russian media. However, Lukashenko is convinced that this fact but contributes to his own growth of popularity.
Belarusian ambassador in Latvia Mikhail Marinich – one of the potential candidates for the presidency declared that in the event of his election as the head of state, the first document he signs will be an edict on the formation of a presidential council (rada). June 14 Marinich offered all candidates from the “five united” team to join his future presidential rada.
Lists of 1,976 individuals were submitted June 14 to the Central Electoral Commission by the candidate for the presidency Leonid Sinitsin. His initiative group is headed by Vladimir Stepanov – former deputy chair of the Brest executive council. When asked why precisely 1,976 people, the potential nominee answered: “I got married back in 1976 and this year we’ll be our silver wedding.”
An initiative group of only 392 people intends to collect signatures in support of the potential nominee for the president’s post Aleksei Lyashko. Aleksei Alekseevich Lyashko is a director of the “Lipen Ltd” company, located in Gomel. He was born in 1949 and majored in engineering and construction.
Entrepreneurs of Minsk and Minsk district will go on strike given the authorities fail to reconsider their attitude toward their activities. The people got trapped: on one hand they can’t give up business, in which they invested so much money and effort, but on the other it is no longer possible to operate under the unbearable conditions, set by the state before its citizens. The rent skyrocketed by 40% and now amounts to $120-180 per 4 square meters of trade space, while the general taxes leaped two times ($70).
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