“Our country is badly pressed for time. We sense this very acutely: time is running away. At the turn of the new millennium the countries are racing a civilization sprint. Those, who don’t wish to be left out historically are quickly learning information technologies, direct to themselves financial flows, conquer positions at the exterior markets, develop in the society the spirit of creativity and business initiative. During the era of storming transformations, every wasted year leaves outsiders one decade behind. Wasted chances are the road to nowhere. To stand still means to put up with ongoing de-industrialization, decadence of agriculture, total misery and runaway from the country by most educated and talented folks,” – with such an open letter the “house of representatives” deputy Gennady Dylevsky addressed the future president on August 6. Following comes its curtailed text.

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“Do you trust the documents, publicized by Vladimir Goncharik, that implicate a range of secret services in the abductions of prominent Belarusian politicians?” – Minsk residents were asked by the “Zerkalo” opinion poll researchers from BelaPAN during their July 30 – August 1 regular poll.

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The Ministry of Justice of Belarus warns that individuals who act on behalf of the unregistered political parties, professional unions and other public organizations can be brought to justice under art.167/10 of the Administrative code. The concomitant statement was circulated by the Ministry of Justice on August 3. The Ministry also adds that the “IO” association hasn’t been properly registered and therefore “has no right to maintain its activities on the territory of Belarus.”

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“In your opinion will the presidential elections in Belarus in 2001 be free and fair?” – NISEPI pollsters asked public leaders and experts during the July polling. 65 respondents filled out the questionnaire, equally representing state and non-state organizations. The overwhelming majority of them – 80% - assume that the ballot won’t be free or fair. 11% stick to an opposite thinking. The rest 9% can’t say for sure.

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Leader of the Communist Party of Belarus Viktor Chikin, who fell in disfavor with Lukashenko and was consequently dismissed from the post of the head of the Belarusian state TV company, was appointed to another, quite strange position – editor-in-chief of the official newspaper “7 Days”, which can hardly be called popular among citizens. Chikin claims that he feels “fine” over his new appointment, for he spent 10 years in the past as editor of the communist paper “We and time”.

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34 was the number of declarations, submitted by the four left contenders for the high seat in Belarus, reports “Nasha Svaboda”. Lukashenko, according to his initiative group leader Nikolai Chegrinets, presented seven – for himself, wife, mother, mother-in-law, two sons and granddaughter. Chegrinets didn’t specify the size of the president’s income for Lukashenko lives at full state provision.

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On August 8 Alexander Lukashenko will host a meeting with country’s chief bankers. The recent event of the type took place a few years ago. This one is of high importance for it is scheduled one month before the presidential elections. According to certain information, Lukashenko will show the bankers documentation, proving that some of them financially backed opposition structures and politicians. It could also be that right at the meeting he will point at the guilty ones and publicly yell at them.

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Military technical exercise “Neman-2001”, which will be held in Belarus on August 26 – September 3, are to manifest to the world that the military forces of the country are “manageable and mobile”, said president Alexander Lukashenko during his Monday meeting, dedicated to the forthcoming training. According to what he said, the Belarusian troops will attract to the campaign around 10 thousand GIs, 60 tanks, over 60 units of missile and artillery systems, 40 jets and over 1000 combat vehicles.

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Ten thousand freelance employees of the Ministry of Defense are paid one minimum budget a month (51,9 thousand rubles in June figures) and appear to be almost beggars. Even one person can’t make it with this amount, let alone the whole family. Due to the low salary level many high-quality specialists have to leave the Ministry jobs, which negatively affects the army’s combat readiness.

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The number of unemployed in Gomel region increased by 8% in comparison with the analogous period last year. The total number of the officially registered amounts to 18 thousand persons, which equals to the level of joblessness of 2,6%. And this is by no means the end of it. The companies are undergoing mass redundancy of personnel.

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Last week the residents of the prestigious Minsk suburban district “Zeleny Lug”, picked up axes and crow-bars, and moved out towards the adjacent forest. The people were well in their senses, nor did they become guerillas, reports “Nasha Svaboda”. Instead, they simply decided that it is high time they protest against selling out their woodlands to the rich new Russians, who cut down trees and build their cottages there. The indignant citizens broke the fence, erected around the future construction site. However, “Zeleny Lug” people won’t stop on that. They intend to petition certain high institutions in order to get the whole project cancelled. Their chances are next to nothing, reports the paper, but it pretty much illustrates people’s despair and indignation.

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Absurd, foul and groundless accusations, voiced by the authorities in relation to opposition, reached their apex. After the state procuracy accused the West of funding opposition and observers in hope to falsify the election results, it “raised concerns” that the United Civil Party leadership transported out of the country and declared missing those opposition members, who are still unaccounted for. This news appeared on Sunday on the National TV channel.

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The State Department on Friday denounced Belarus authorities for seizing U.S.-supplied equipment designed to assist the country`s democratic opposition ahead of Sept. 9 presidential elections.

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This year the official relations between the United States and Belarus will either significantly improve or deteriorate, but won’t remain at where they are right now, said in his talk with the journalists on August 3 the Plenipotentiary US ambassador in Belarus Michael Kozak. The ambassador believes that everything will depend on the course of the presidential elections.

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First deputy chief of presidential Administration of Belarus Vladimir Zametalin, speaking on August 3 before the BPSM members, declared that it is not authorities but rather opposition, which conspires to fabricate the election outcomes. The key role in the process, he said, belongs to opposition observers.

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“It is irresponsible to compare the network of the interior observation with the election falsification one because the whole idea is that this network will make things more transparent. It is clear to all of you, both journalists and international observers. So nobody should suspect that we will misuse it for the wrong purpose,” – answered Michael Kozak to Lukashenko’s allegations about the US-run fabrication plot.

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Registration of candidates for the presidency commenced in Belarus on August 5. Four potential candidates for the president Vladimir Goncharik, Syamon Domash, Alexander Lukashenko and Sergei Gaidukevich submitted all the necessary documents for balloting for the high post, including their written consent to engage in the race, CV data, declaration on their own incomes and those of their relatives. Names of the registered candidates, said Central Electoral Commission secretary Nikolai Lozovik, will be made known on August 10.

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“Harsh regulations in the sphere of private business are caused by skyrocketing corruption and shadow economy,” – in such terms head of the Belarusian representation of the International Financial Corporation Karl Dagenhart characterized the actions of the Belarusian government. He reported about the IFC intentions to analyze the amount of money, needed to start private business in Belarus. Preliminary computations show that an entrepreneur would need at least 120 days and 400 dollars for the purpose. Moreover, usually the registration procedures are tough, time-consuming and vague. Dagenhart cited the example of Canada, where one needs only two days and 280 dollars to launch his own business.

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15 activists of Youth Front were summoned August 4 to the KGB interrogation. KGB continues investigation proceedings on the matter of planted bomb, which went off at the Russian embassy in Minsk on June 1 this year during the CIS heads of state summit.

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During the meeting of the Belarusian graduates of the joint American-German Center of security research of George Marshall, US ambassador in Belarus Michael Kozak shared his opinion on the trial over the former agent of this center Christopher Lets, who appeared to be the first foreign spy in the history of Belarus, sentenced to 7 years of hard-labor colony: “We have no idea about what were his accusers doing after a few months of isolation and trial, which was held under closed doors. To me that sounds like the flawed judiciary more than anything else.”

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