The declaration of US Ambassador Michael Kozak evoked a highly negative reaction of Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In his declaration Kozak reportedly compares the present day actions of the USA in Belarus to the situation in Nicaragua, as Mikhail Khvostov, the deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs told answering questions of reporters of BelTA agency, “Interfax” and NTV channel.

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Candidate for the presidency Vladimir Goncharik believes that CEC doesn’t treat him fairly. He said this on September 4 during the Gomel press-conference. According to Goncharik, CEC persistently ignores all facts of violations of electoral legislation, committed by Alexander Lukashenko’s crew. Goncharik asks a rhetorical question: who paid for the bus trip to Minsk of 300 representatives of Gomel region, where they met with Lukashenko. The leader of free trade unions claims that CEC will overlook the issue anyway.

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On the first day of pre-voting around 300 independent observers from public organizations and political parties started performing their duty at the 121st precinct station of Gomel. BelaPAN was told by the observation coordinator for the Oktyabrsky district Adolf Zetsepin that there emerged first data on the obstacles, created before the independent monitors. In particular, at one of the polling stations, the BPF “Adradjenne” observer was barred from counting the number of early voters. At the station #21, which is located in the military hospital, there was absent the book, where the observers can get registered.

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Over 100 security service people in civilian surrounded the picketers, standing at the Republic`s Palace with portraits of repressed Belarusian politicians. Lukashenko feared to face his own countrymen, who raised again questions over the abductions of prominent opposition figures. Instead he proceeded to the Palace to meet an assembly of his voters, brought there by special buses. Among those who were encircled by police, KGB and presidential security service men were also wives of the harassed oppositionists - Ludmila Karpenko, Irina Krasovskaya, Svetlana Zavadskaya. The operation was initiated by personally Interior Minister Naumov. He ordered to oust everyone from the square before Lukashenko shows up. Having disobeyed his command, the protesters sat down on the pavement. So the president didn`t manage to escape an encounter with opposition activists. They shouted to the incumbent, who turned his back to them and almost ran into the Palace, "Shame!".

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Over 50 individuals turned up today at 9.30a.m. on the Oktyabrskaya square of Minsk with portraits of harassed Belarusians – missing politicians Yuri Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, businessman Anatoly Krasovsky and ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky; deceased under mysterious circumstances Gennady Karpenko and Anatoly Maisenya, political prisoners, Supreme Soviet deputies Andrei Klimov and Valery Schukin. Meantime, dozens of buses brought to the square Alexander Lukashenko’s voters. The voters, just as once the delegates of the wacky All-Belarusian Assembly, were driven here from all around the country. The protesters were immediately attacked by the plain-clothed agents. They dragged the people along the asphalt, trying to oust them from the square. In response, the picketers sat down on the pavement and didn’t stir.

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Anonymous letter was e-mailed to a range of independent periodicals, radio-stations and Russian TV channels, accredited in Belarus. The authors of the letter, who call themselves KGB officers, prove data on the existence of death squads in Belarus. The KGB agents say they had to voice their information due to the failed Lukashenko’s attempt to refute the accusations of murders. KGB people claim that the death squad does exist and operates at the expense of ordinary tax-payers.

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Written reprimand, issued by the Central Electoral Committee against the unique runner for the president from wide civic coalition Vladimir Goncharik, is a result of the provocation, concocted upon Lukashenko’s personal order, said leader of Goncharik’s election campaign Vassily Leonov. Leonov underlined that from the very beginning the campaign had been marked by unceasing provocations, conspired by the authorities. Leonov believes that Goncharik’s candidacy may well get withdrawn, for he poses serious threat to the incumbent.

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Independent interior observers will be the first to publicize data about the results of the presidential elections in Belarus. “It is no boasting. The possibility is envisaged by the very system of parallel vote count. It happened so in all countries where they used it previously,” – said coordinators of interior observation of presidential elections in Belarus Ales Belyatsky aтd Miroslav Kobasa. In total, around 10,000 observers will engage in the system of parallel vote count.

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Most villagers of Avgustovo, Logoisk district, intend to vote for their countryman Vladimir Goncharik. Radio Svaboda correspondent visited the home village of the unique candidate from wide public coalition of Belarus.

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Over the first six months of the year 2001 the volumes of trade transactions between Belarus and the United States of America saw a significant curtailment as compared with the analogous period yester year. BelaPAN was told by the counselor of the department for USA and Canada of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Ilona Yurevich that over the first half of 2001 the trade turnover between the two states slipped by 18,4%, including export – by 41,2% and import – 2%.

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September 3 the Central district court of Minsk sentenced the US citizen, director of the Belarusian representation of the educational program ACCELS Charles Periell to 5 years and 3 months of imprisonment in hard-labor colony with partial confiscation of property. The state accuser demanded 6 years of jail for Periell.

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