Chair of the Federation of trade unions, nominee for the presidency Vladimir Goncharik forwarded to Vladimir Putin copies of the documents, which implicate the high-ranking Belarusian officials in “disappearing” opposition politicians.

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The Committee for State Control started a large-scale expertise of the financial activities of the Federation of trade unions. Their office was visited on July 17 by the SCC experts, whereas the following day – by State committee for taxation and KGB.

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Chair of the striking committee of entrepreneurs Valery Levonevsky forwarded a plea to the central Electoral Committee, asking to nullify registration of his initiative group for nominating him as candidate for the president. Levonevsky became fifth “volunteer”, who gave up his intentions to run for the presidency. Previously Natalya Masherova, Alexander Kryzhanovsky, Nikolai Mekeko and Sergei Antonchik did just the same. Levonesky motivates his decision by claiming that he has numerous relatives, many of who don’t wish to present tax declarations, as envisaged by decree #20.

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Leader of the Belarusian women’s party “Nadzeya” Valentina Polevikova appealed to president Lukashenko on behalf of the party’s council, blaming him for “heartlessness and cynicism”. The basis for such attitude was recent Lukashenko’s report in BT, where he referred to the travel of wives of prominent opposition members to DC as “row” and the materials, which implicate him of abductions he called “trash”.

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“Who would you cast your vote for, given the presidential elections were held today?” – asked “Zerkalo” pollsters from BelaPAN Minsk residents within the framework of the survey, held July 10-13. 500 Minsk people, aged 18 and over, engaged in the questionnaire. Only 17% pledged readiness to vote for Alexander Lukashenko. For comparison, in mid-June 26% of Minsk residents vowed they would uphold the incumbent.

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Official deadline for the submission of signature sheets of candidates to district and municipal commissions has been set for today, 6p.m. In order to pass registration one needs to present no less than 100,000 signatures. According to BelaPAN by July 19 at least ten candidates made it: chair of the Federation of trade unions Vladimir Goncharik (191,620 signed sheets), former head of Administration Leonid Sinitsin (180,000), head of the Liberal-democratic party Sergei Gaidukevich (over 170,000), leader of an unregistered movement “Regional Belarus “ Syamon Domash (144,331), former Premier Mikhail Chigir (120,000), Belarusian ambassador in Latvia, Estonia and Finland Mikhail Marinich (110,000), leader of the Party of communists Sergei Kalyakin (106,400), chair of the republic’s committee of agricultural trade union Alexander Yaroshuk (105,000), former Defense Minister Pavel Kozlovsky (over 100,000) and acting president Alexander Lukashenko (the number yet to be verified).

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For the involvement in the picket for free Tibet, held on July 19 on the Oktyabrskaya square during the official visit to Belarus by Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, the Central Court of Minsk ruled to fine ZUBR activist Anatoly Podokshin, 20 minimum salaries (over $100). Judge Natalya Voitsekhovich charged him under art.167/1.

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Influential international human rights watchdog Article-19 publicly denounced the recent burglary of the independent newspaper “Dyen” office. Following is the text of their address to Lukashenko:

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United States Senator Campbell raised at the Congress session the problem of mass disappearances amidst Belarusian political opposition. Read further the full transcript of his report:

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TV link-up of wives of the repressed Belarusian politicians – Ludmila Karpenko, Irina Krasovskaya, Svetlana Zavadskaya and Tatyana Klimova, currently on a visit to Washington DC – was held yesterday by the US embassy. Four Belarusian ladies, whose husbands fell pray to political terror, declared yesterday from a studio of the US Department of State: “We are ordinary women, who lived with our husbands and dealt with politics only indirectly. But now we want to be noticed by all. Four well-known Lukashenko’s challengers went missing since 1999. Up to present moment the Belarusian authorities didn’t shed any light on these vanishings. We want the international community to force the Belarusian authorities to investigate into the disappearances and murders of our husbands.” The women arrived in Washington in order to speak of the necessity of independent investigation into their husbands’ disappearances.

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Another Lukashenko challenger withdrew himself from the race on July 19. Sergei Antonchik – deputy of the 12th Supreme Soviet, coordinator of the “Workers self-aide” initiative said he would like to “sacrifice” the votes of his potential supporters to another possible candidate – Plenipotentiary ambassador of Belarus for Latvia, Estonia and Finland Mikhail Marinich.

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Sergei Laptev, who threw on July 3 a tomato at skiing Alexaner Lukashenko, went under attack July 17 night. He, along with other members of Yaroshuk’s initiative team, were collecting signatures near the food-store in the Pritytskogo street of Minsk. They were approached by a few muscular young men, who ordered everyone to follow them, claiming that they are from “services”.

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“Belarusian economy today is operating in pre-election mode, and for accomplishing political aims determined by the authorities the irreplaceable resources are spent.” – this statement was made by the Vice Chairman of the Belarusian Trade Unions Federation Frants Vitko.

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Lithuanian Council for market competition, as means of protectionism of the domestic market, ruled July 19 to introduce anti-dumping duties on cement, imported from Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. With regard to the Belarusian product, the tariff was established at the level of 52 Lithuanian Lits per ton, Ukrainian – 47 Lits, Russian – 22.

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