Former Plenipotentiary ambassador of Belarus for Latvia, Estonia and Finland Mikhail Marinich believes that in case Lukashenko refuses to accept his defeat at the elections, it’ll take opposition no more than 3-6 months to eventually topple him. Marinich says it will be a result of the economic embargo, which the West will impose on Belarus.

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Agents of the police department for economic crimes (OBEP) commenced to explore the activities of the “Aslona” human rights center of Volkovysk. August 16 morning the HR group’s office was visited by local police chief Evgeny Chernyavsky and his helper Vitaly Boltrukevich. BelaPAN was told by “Aslona’s” head of the board Nikolai Kovalchuk that the law-enforcers explained their sudden raid by cal the examination into whether or not they possess proper documentation for their technical equipment.

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August 15 the law-enforcers filed a protocol on the computers’ confiscation at the resource center “Vilenschina”, based in Radun (Voronovsky district). “Vilenschina’s” head Vitaly Kuplevich said that approximately at 9p.m. three OBEP officers called in at his house and attempted to search it without a proper warrant. They stayed at his apartment until midnight. Kuplevich refused to sign the confiscation act. He claims that the cops behaved very aggressively, but the rest of the center’s staffers helped him to resist police arbitrariness and not let them carry the stuff away. However, the confiscation protocol has been drawn and in the next few days the equipment will be seized anyway.

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Among the confidants of the candidates are many renowned Belarusians: scholars, artists and politicians. BelaPAN reports that Goncharik’s trustees are professor Yuri Khodyko, poet Gennady Buravkin, TV host Zinaida Bondarenko. Domash is supported by prominent filmmaker Yuri Khastchevatsky, poet Rygor Borodulin, singer Viktor Shalkevich. Lukashenko’s most well-known backers are MP and writer Nikolai Chegrinets, former first secretary of the communist party Efrem Sokolov, orchestra conductor Mikhail Finberg and others.

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ZUBR resistance held a “Time to clean up!” series of actions in Brest. The first one took place on a central beach of the polluted river Mukhovets. Having embarked on two boats ZUBRs started to pick up trash floating in the water. The sunbathing Brest residents were astonished to eye boys and girls cleaning the water from empty cigarette boxes, butts, plastic bottles and other rubbish. After the guys went ashore they resumed their practice there. Over one hour of cleaning they gathered 37 full trash-bags, 60 liters each.

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Unusual agreements are signed between the town hall of Krychev and private entrepreneurs. Under the terms of the contract businessmen sacrifice donations for the reconstruction of their hometown worth 15 minimal wages and get a permission to trade in downtown, reports “Brest courier”.

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August 16 evening the “Common world” festival of documentaries will demonstrate films by Belarusian filmmakers Yuri Khaschevatsky “Ordinary President” and Leonid Mindlin “Fear”. Khaschevatsky’s satirical movie was produced in 1996. It perfectly depicts the totalitarian nature of Lukashenko’s regime and his aspiration for power. Mindlin’s film is based on the TV newscasts, shot in 1997-1999 for the Universal agency of TV news. Critics say that “Fear” is a documentary about present-day Belarus – an anomalous country in the heart of Europe and about fear technologies, applied by the regime to keep the people in subordination to it. The viewers gather at 6-6.15p.m. at the entrance to the “Globus” store (Volodarskogo str. 16).

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Ahead of the looming presidential elections in Belarus Alexander Lukashenko invited into the country a notorious world terrorist, wanted by the States, leader of the Libyan revolution and undercover leader of the Social Popular Libyan Arabic Governance, where they train terrorists and suicide bombers, Muamar ben Mukhammed ben Hamid Kaddafi. In early 90ies Kaddafi guerillas blew up the American aircraft. The death toll of the tragedy reached over 300.

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MINSK, Belarus -- The location of the protest was kept secret, so the lone guard at the downtown plaza known as Victory Square seemed flummoxed when hundreds of teenagers suddenly began streaming from an underground walkway wearing T-shirts emblazoned "Time to Choose."

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None of the observers of the Warsaw-based OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) managed to receive a Belarusian entry visa on August 15, according to an ODIHR representative.

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In the near future Belarusian media will publish information about the economic crimes, committed by Alexander Lukashenko, said during August 15 meeting with journalists former Belarusian ambassador in Latvia, Estonia and Finland Mikhail Marinich. “This information will definitely see light,” – he promised. Marinich claims that the data will relate to Lukashenko-brokered arm deals with Chechnya, the formation of secret presidential fund and a series of other issues. “All of it will soon be made public for everybody to learn,” – said former ambassador.

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The Belarusian Helsinki Committee, as well as citizens Garry Pogonailo and Oleg Gulak petitioned the Supreme Court with complaint over the Central Electoral Committee’s action, pleading with the judiciary to annul the recent ruling of the Committee. During June 8 CEC session they established forms of protocols of district and territorial commissions on the final outcomes of the presidential election, which, according to the petitioners, violate art.55 of the Electoral Code and the right of voters for the full, transparent and fair reflection of the ballot’s results, thus giving grounds for potential falsification.

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The European mass media institute will carry out its media monitoring mission in course of the presidential elections in Belarus. The mission’s activities are financed by the European Commission within the framework of the project “Democratic and human rights initiatives”.

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Hundreds of caricatures with Lukashenko image emerged overnight in the streets of Mogilev. They were scattered on the pavement in the center of the city. This revolting situation was noticed by guys in T-shirts “Time to clean up!”, who started to pick up the trash. Some onlookers gave a helping hand too. Besides, the members of the local branches of the Youth Front and the United Civil Party joined in the action. The rubbish was removed in a few minutes. Then more than a hundred people lined up and marched along the central streets, exclaiming “Long live Belarus!” and “Time to clean up!”. The procession came up to the market square, and there the group peacefully broke up. Only after that the police units pulled up at the market square. But everything they saw was a clean street.

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Economic damage, that the state suffered following the re-registration of companies, amounts to over 10mln. dollars. The incurred losses inexorably affected the growing prices on consumer market and the waste of 10 working days.

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At the plane-repairing plant in Baranovichi Russian specialists help modernizing first two MiG-29 fighters, pertaining to the Belarusian army. Alexander Lukashenko ordered to get first four jets in full combat readiness, having already earmarked means for the purpose.

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