The chain of the “people who care” with portraits of the missing Lukashenko’s opponents – Yuri Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Dmitry Zavadsky, Gennady Karpenko, Anatoly Maisenya, Andrei Klimov and Valery Schukin will stretch today at 5p.m. in front of the Minsk TV center. UCP leader Anatoly Lebedko, commenting on this initiative of theirs, underscored: “To me the names of state TV hosts Zimovsky, Azarenok and Novikov are synonymous to the notion “lies”. Present-day BT is a cradle of libel and a collective accessory to a crime – abductions of prominent Belarusians. Seeking to silence or distort facts about Gonchar, Zakharenko, Karpenko and other victims of the terror, the state media appear in same group with the organizers and perpetrators of the killings.” Charter’97 will shoot on-line reports from the place of the action.

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Resistance movement ZUBR released on August 9 a statement about the drafted agreement between democratic candidates. ZUBRs denied their part in the demands, brought forward to Goncharik by certain youth organizations. ZUBR declared that it would decisively uphold the accords between democratic candidates for the presidency and political groups, given they stand on democratic principles. Following comes the full text of the statement.

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July 30-August 1, 2001 the sociological center “Zerkalo” of BelaPAN explored public opinion among the capital residents. They polled respondents aged 18 and over. A few conclusions can be drawn as a result. First, Goncharik’s rating skyrocketed at least in Minsk after the announcement of him as a unique candidate. High percentage of undetermined gives him further chances of promotion. And second – Alexander Lukashenko’s victory in first round is hardly plausible.

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Gomel entrepreneur Vladimir Nepomnyaschi held August 8 a personal protest against disappearances of renowned Belarusian politicians. In the morning the man arrived at his work – the central city marketplace – wearing white T-shirt with photos of famous state figures, reports BelaPAN. On the top of the T-shirt there was a portrait of prosecutor general Viktor Sheiman, SOBR commander Dmitry Pavluchenko, deputy head of Administration Yuri Sivakov and Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov.

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Official Tbilisi was astonished by Alexander Lukashenko’s Wednesday statement, when he declared the GUUAM, uniting under its roof Georgia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova, a “futile formation”, which was set up in contrast to the Russia-Belarus union. “None of the GUUAM leaders has ever spoken negatively of the Russia-Belarus union, considering it to be their internal business,” – Prime News was told by deputy chair of the Foreign Relations Service of Georgia Shalva Pichkhadze.

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Every candidate for the presidency of Belarus will get roughly 14 thousand dollars for campaigning. As “Interfax” was told on Thursday by CEC chairwoman Lidya Ermoshina, under the Belarusian legislation the candidates get means for the campaign out of the state budget. At the moment every candidate receives 2300 minimum wages.

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Under the Eurostat’s data, among all CIS states in June 2001 as compared to May 2001 the highest inflation rate was recorded in Belarus – 2,1%, while deflation was marked in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgizhia, Moldova and Tajikistan – - 0,4 – - 1,3%. In Kazakhstan prices on consumer goods and services went 0,1% uphill, Ukraine – 0,6%, Russia – 1,6%. Prices of manufacturers of industrial commodity in June 2001 rose in Russia by 2%, Belarus – 1,4%, Kazakhstan – 1,1%, Georgia – 0,6%, Ukraine – 0,2%, and dropped in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Kyrgizhia by 0,1-0,5%, Moldova – 1,1% and Tajikistan – 1,6%.

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Foreign trade turnover of Belarus this year is equal to 7339,1 million dollars and decreased by 4,9% as compared to January-June 2000. The volume of the foreign trade with the CIS states decreased by 2,7%, non-CIS countries– by 8,7%. A considerable decrease of the import deliveries brought about the foreign trade turnover decrease.

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The Grodno region executive committee commanded to distribute 100 thousands lottery coupons in the enterprises. The coupons are handed out in “voluntary-obligatory” manner. One coupon costs 1 thousand roubles. If all coupons would be sold (and who can doubt it?), 50% of the fund will make prize-money. Simple calculations show that local budget will get 50 millions roubles.

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London, August 8, 2001-The Belarusian embassy in London has denied a visa request by Emma Gray, a UK-based consultant with the Committee to Protect Journalists who intended to monitor press conditions in Belarus in advance of the September 9 presidential election. An embassy official provided no reason for the Foreign Ministry`s rejection of her application.

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The closer the presidential election in Belarus, the more scandals there come out. Recently the desire of the Belarusian president to stay in power by any means was expressed in a very original way – calendars for the year 2002 were published with… the picture of Lukashenko and a text: the president of Belarus.

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Press-conference of Alexander Lukashenko occurred yesterday in Minsk. For the very first time in a few years they invited there independent journalists. And again for the first time they didn’t check beforehand the questions, posed to the Belarusian leader. “BDG” journalist Irina Khalip inquired Lukashenko about the following, very poignant issue:“Ski race in midsummer… Alexander Grigorievich, why don’t you want to undergo independent psychiatric examination? That would be beneficial for you anyway: either you ridicule all your slanderers by manifesting perfect psychological health or live in peace, realizing that you bear no responsibility for any of your actions, crimes include, for at the moment of their committal you were beside yourself.”

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Alexander Lukashenko deems impossible the formation of the independent commission to investigate into the disappearances of Belarusian politicians. He said that if the commission included agents of American and German special services they “would deliberately falsify the results of the commission’s work”. “For the meal is being cooked over there,” added Lukashenko, having mentioned American FBI, CIA and some German security service. Lukashenko is also convinced that it would be wrong to include opposition people into the commission on disappearances, else, he says, the procedures are going to be biased.

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The law-enforcers and KGB agents broke into the office of the Gomel youth center “Gart” on August 8. A few cars blocked all entrances and exits from the building. Gomel “Gart” unites activists of many democratic youth organizations, ZUBRs included. Police were interested in them most. They detained the press-secretary of the Gomel ZUBR branch Roman Palaschenko and another young man in a T-shirt with the movement’s logo.

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From mid-90ies the border union between Russia and Belarus became a true goldmine for many moguls from the two states. The union abolished customs houses on the frontier between the two countries, thus enabling the commodity to freely travel in both ways without a hindrance. Adventurous folks quickly learnt how to use it for their own good. Since the approval of border union accord the budgets of two countries lost billions of dollars. Many machinations ended up in loud scandals, implicating the names of high-ranking statesmen. Today in the focus of our attention is the notorious “Torgexpo” firm.

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Registration of presidential candidates will take place on August 14, journalists quoted CEC chairwoman Lidya Ermoshina as saying on August 8. She pinpointed that the CEC session, dedicated to the procedure, will be held under the National Palace roof.

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Leadership of the Novopolotsk plant “Izmeritel” in breach of the Labor code didn’t warn the company personnel one month beforehand that it drafted a decree on their plant’s transition from August 1 to a short working week. From now on the company will operate Monday through Thursday only.

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Indebtedness of the municipal organizations for energy supplies constituted by July 1 over 106bln. rubles. Meantime, the natural gas debt stayed on the level of 38bln. BELTA correspondent reports from the Ministry for housing that the major cause of the soaring indebtedness for energy was the untimely payment for utility services by the budget organizations.

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