Belarusian national artist Yaroslav Evdokimov declared that he would give up his honorary title, if Alexander Lukashenko gets re-elected as president. Evdokimov believes that by so doing he may influence many, who are “still living in blindfolds”.

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In August 1991, the aborted coup against Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev chimed the death toll for the Soviet Empire. Ten years later, we are still dealing with the consequences. The first President Bush built relations of trust with Mr. Gorbachev which also facilitated an orderly management of the Soviet decline. Today, the second President Bush is building a close relationship with President Vladimir Putin in order to guide the U.S.-Russian ties into the post-Cold War era.

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Belarusian poet Vladimir Neklaev, who returned to Belarus days ago, calls on intelligentsia to overcome fear and stand for the freedom and democracy in Belarus: “Intellectuals, whose labor at all times has been based on their adherence to moral principles, can’t be supportive of a deceitful, amateurish and lawless authorities,” – noted the poet: “Otherwise the people, who claim to be intelligentsia, aren’t doing what they ought or are simply cowardly chicken by nature.”

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Seeking to limit the communication between Vladimir Goncharik and the electorate, the authorities keep flagrantly violating law. August 22 morning an anonymous caller from the Soligorsk metallurgic factory said that the company’s administration barred the previously scheduled meeting of workers with the candidate. As claimed by the caller, deputy director of the plant himself stood at the entrance, threatening everyone, who will be noticed at Goncharik’s meeting, with dismissal.

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Former deputy chief of the Security Council of Belarus, major-general in reserve Valery Kez was beaten up August 21 night by a group of unidentified mobsters. For a few years Kez has been working in Moscow. He came to Minsk to engage in the work of the 5th Congress of democratic forces and the statutory session of the organization “For new Belarus”.

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On September 6 six thousand students of universities, technical schools and colleges of Vitebsk region will head for field works in husbandries of the region’s 16 districts. “Vitebsk courier” reports that this year the high school students will also have to spend two weeks plucking vegetables. In total, students of 40 educational institutions of Vitebsk region will start their academic year with harvesting in best Soviet style. They will be able to vote during the pre-voting on September 4.

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All the state newspapers received a directive to reprint Lukashenko’s election platform from the “Sovetskaya Belorussia” newspaper. The program should be reprinted word by word. The editors-in-chief are prohibited to make the photograph of A.Lukashenko even a millimeter less. The entire text should be placed on the front page.

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Editors of leading independent editions of Belarus “Narodnaya Volya” and “Nasha Svaboda” launched a press-conference at which they protested against the repressive policy of the government, which arbitrarily seized printing facilities of the “Magic” press, thus disrupting the work of not only “NV” and “NS” but also 16 independent regional papers. “Volya’s” editor-in-chief Joseph Seredich said that yesterday they produced only 10 thousand copies instead of 45 thousand. Their special issue, dedicated to the presidential elections, faces failure, “Rabochy” special issue will not see light too.

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“We set up a vicious state system, which must be done away with. On September 9 we’ll put an end to this lawlessness,” – declared unique candidate for the presidency from wide public coalition Vladimir Goncharik during his August 22 TV report. Goncharik condemned the principle of concentration of power in one man’s hands. According to him “the president has to unite the nation”, “he shouldn’t have bad and good people, for all of them are the citizens of Belarus”.

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At the meeting of Sovetsky district residents of Minsk with deputy head of district administration Shipai they detained 12 activists of ZUBR movement. Guys in T-shirts “Time to clean up!” became an object of particular attention of cops, who attempted to force them out of the hall. ZUBR activist Igor Suld tried to find out what’s the matter and got in no time captured and taken to Okrestina detention center. Other ZUBR activists followed suit.

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At 6.30p.m. August 22 the Belarusian television instead of the scheduled speech of the presidential candidate Alexander Lukashenko broadcasted a report from the “Slav Bazaar” festival. BT announcer Anna Yanova declared that Lukashenko waived his right for TV addresses and determined to “limit himself” to the coverage of his activity as the incumbent in television newscasts. This is a clear breach of the CEC ruling, under which every candidate is entitled to have only 2 reports, 30 minutes each.

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The Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) has issued a statement accusing the authorities of planning large-scale falsifications during the presidential election coming up in September.

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Head of the central Electoral Committee Lidya Ermoshina sees nothing wrong with the dedication of most space in the newspaper “Sovetskaya Belorussiya” over the election period to the incumbent Lukashenko. CEC chairwoman claims that “SB”, as an official president’s mouthpiece, should reflect his and his Cabinet’s activity, which is all right. “The fact that 99% of its space is dedicated to the activities of the incumbent is a norm, rather than the breach of law,” – she was quoted as saying.

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Central Electoral Commission has acceded to Syamon Domash’s August 22 request to take him off from the list of presidential candidates. Lidya Ermoshina, chairwoman of the commission, told BelaPAN that the decision on Domash’s determination was made by questioning the commission members over the phone.

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Income and property declarations of Belarusian presidential candidates and their close kinsmen will be published on August 24, Lidya Ermoshina, chairwoman of the Central Electoral Commission, told reporters in Minsk on August 22.

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