Vladimir Goncharik, Sergei Gaidukevich, Syamon Domash and Alexander Lukashenko are “liable to registration” as candidates for the presidency, as far as their nomination complies with the law, “Interfax” was told on Monday by the CEC chairwoman Lidya Ermoshina. Head of the Belarusian CEC reminded that the necessary number of signatures were gathered in support of the four candidates. Moreover, the potential runners for the president submitted their income and property declarations, along with those of their relatives. Candidates’ registration will take place August 14 in the Republic’s Palace.

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In the end of the previous week the activities on the formation of the regional headquarters of Lukashenko was over. Several thousand strong groups will work for his election campaign. The regional executive committees’ heads signed the lists of agitation measures; special agitation and propaganda groups at three levels were formed. The highest level is the regional headquarters, headed by the deputy heads of the executive committees who are responsible for the ideological work. The deputy head of the Minsk executive committee Vladimir Drazhin even took an unpaid holiday leave for the period of the pre-election campaign, according to “Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta”.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus has so far failed to forward to the Bureau for democratic institutes and human rights of OSCE an invitation to send observers to the presidential elections in Belarus, BelaPAN was told on August 13 by the Foreign Ministry spokesman Pavel Latushko, who pledged once again that the invitation would follow in “the near future”. August 8 Alexander Lukashenko himself promised to invite ODIHR during his meeting with journalists. On August 9 media people were told this by CEC chairwoman Lidya Ermoshina. In particular, she stressed that the invitation will come in the next few days.

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The Central Election Commission for Elections and Referenda in the Republic of Belarus is finishing the preparation for the registration of the candidates for the presidential position. According to BelaPAN, the CEC secretary Nikolay Lozovik, the check of the declarations of the would-be candidates and their relatives is coming to an end now. Syamon Domash, Vladimir Goncharik and Sergey Gaidukevich were summoned to the CEC on August 11 and 13.

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KGB chief Leonid Erin declined to answer the questions about the missing Belarusian politicians Yuri Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, Dmitry Zavadsky and Anatoly Krasovsky. As you remember, ZUBR resistance activists summoned for interrogation KGB head Leonid Erin in order to pose him questions WHERE’S ZAVADSKY? WHERE’S ZAKHARENKO? WHERE’S KRASOVSKY? WHERE’S GONCHAR?

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Agreement between a unique candidate for the president of Belarus and a wide public coalition on the mutual commitments ahead of and during the presidential campaign was signed on August 11 in Minsk. De-facto they finally reached an accord between the two potential runners for the presidency Vladimir Goncharik and Syamon Domash. Two democratic candidates arrived at a conclusion that both of them will engage in the pre-electoral campaign, but right after the registration Syamon Domash will withdraw his candidacy in favor of Vladimir Goncharik, having beforehand obtained guarantees that following the victory of the unique candidate he will get appointed Prime Minister of Belarus. The document was signed by Vladimir Goncharik, Syamon Domash and heads of leading political parties of Belarus. “This is the crucial day for the whole presidential campaign. There has been liquidated the threat of parallel presidential campaigns. The agreement cleared away all the hindrances, which could impede the victory of democrats at the forthcoming presidential elections, being an utterly important political step,” – Charter’97 was told by the United Civil Party chair Anatoly Lebedko.

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Zinaida Gonchar petitioned the State Security Committee, the Ministry of the Interior Affairs, and the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office with the demand to continue the investigation of the case on her husband’s abduction.
“Recently a lot of information connected with the vanishing of my husband Viktor Gonchar emerged in the press, -- she wrote. – And the reference is made to some document written by General Lopatik”.

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Resistance movement ZUBR summoned for interrogation chief of the Belarusian KGB Leonid Erin. ZUBR activists delivered their subpoena to the man’s apartment and mailed it to his working place likewise. KGB chief is offered to show up at the monument to Dzerdjinsky on the Skarina prospect at 12 o’clock August 13. There ZUBRs will inquire from him about the destiny of the missing Belarusians – Yuri Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky and Dmitry Zavadsky.

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Back in late November 2000, speaking before the KGB brass after the removal of the old head of the institution, Alexander Lukashenko declared: “To relieve journalists’ sufferings on the occasion of all these loud cases and crimes, I want to state the following: Yes, I’m guilty that it happened in the country. For I am a president and stop looking for the guilty ones. That is why I am fully responsible for this and the rest. So, let me underline once again: don’t try to find the guilty ones. I am the only guilty person.”

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The citizens of the free Belarus were amazed, astounded and totally confused for the first time. It became clear that A.Lukashenko panics about something. What on earth can frighten such a president? Not mad dogs, a murderer’s bullet, a lightning or electric shock, infarct, stroke or AIDS scare him. He is afraid of just one thing – “falsification of the presidential election results”.

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The Minsk city hall didn’t sanction the August 13 run “Minsk-Zhodino” in honor of the incarcerated Supreme Soviet deputy and human rights defender Valery Schukin, who’s serving his term in the Zhodino prison. According to the Youth front leader Pavel Severinets, who submitted a concomitant request to hold the action, in an August 9 phone conversation with the representatives of the juridical department of the Minsk city hall he was assured that the race implementation would be okayed by the city hall, but on August 10 he learnt of a different decision.

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Hearing of Syamon Domash’s court complaint to the National TV, which he accuses of defaming him, was scheduled for September 7, BelaPAN was told in Domash’s headquarters. On June 29 the candidate petitioned the Pervomaisky court of Minsk, claiming that in the April 28, 2001 program of Yuri Azarenok “Secret springs of politics” the host gave “an absolutely groundless assessment” of his business and professional qualities.

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The government granted to five enterprises of the Belarusian state concern on the manufacture and sale of light industry goods a deferment in clearing off their indebtedness before the state for the consumed energy.

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