Лаўрэат Нацыянальнай прэміі за абарону правоў чалавека, дэпутат Вярхоўнага Савету 13-га скліканьня, журналіст Валеры Шчукін трапіў у турму на 3 месяцы толькі за тое, што паспрабаваў прайсьці на прэс-канферэнцыю міністра ўнутраных справаў Беларусі Ўладзімера Навумава. Гэта й стала прычынаю арышту журналіста. Прэс-канферэнцыя пра ход расьсьледаваньня “гучных справаў” аб зьнікненьнях вядомых у Беларусі людзей, праводзілася ў рэжымным будынку МУС. Пастанова аб арышце 60-гадовага Валеры Шчукіна тэрмінам на 3 месяцы, вынесенае 15 сакавіка судом Цэнтральнага раёну Менску, уступіла ў сілу 12 чэрвеня. Заўтра Валеры Шчукін, якога ўлада нейтралізавала напярэдадні выбараў на тры месяцы, павінен быць вызвалены.

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16 верасьня спаўняецца два гады з дня зьнікненьня вядомага палітыка Віктара Ганчара й прадпрымальніка Анатоля Красоўскага. Аб’яднаная грамадзянская партыя 17 верасьня а 17.00 каля рэзыдэнцыі Лукашэнкі (К.Маркса,38) правядзе акцыю “Ланцуг неабыякавых людзей”, прысьвечаную гэтай даце. Лідэр АГП Анатоль Лябедзька адзначыў, што рэакцыя ўладаў на гэтае мерапрыемства будзе лакмусавай паперай, якая дакладна пакажа сапраўдныя адносіны Лукашэнкі да лёсу бясьсьледна зьніклых. “Палітычная кампанія “Выбары-2001”засталася для гісторыі, а праблема бязьдзейства ўладаў у пытаньні высьвятленьня праўды па “гучных справах” не згубіла сваёй вастрыні. Таму пра нібы кан’юнктурны характар акцыі разважаць не да месца”, - заявіў Лябедзька.

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Прэзыдэнцкія выбары 2001 году ў Рэспубліцы Беларусь ўяўлялі сабой важную магчымасьць правесці ацэнку ўзроўню разьвіцьця дэмакратыі й грамадзянскай супольнасьці ў краіне. Гэтыя выбары будуць уплываць на будучыя адносіны паміж Беларусьсю й міжнароднай супольнасьцю, уключна з Эўрапейскімі інстытуцыямі. Міжнародная Місія па абмежаванаму назіраньню за прэзыдэнцкімі выбарамі ў Беларусі (ММАНВ) праводзіла назіраньне за выбарамі на падставе міжнародных стандартаў па правядзеньню дэмакратычных выбараў. Гэтыя стандарты сфармуляваныя ў дакумэнтах АБСЭ і Рады Эўропы. ММАНВ пацьведзіла важнасьць 4 крытэраў, вызначаных у 2000 годзе Парлямэнцкай тройкай як асноўныя ўмовы для правядзеньня дэмакратычных выбараў і працягу працэсу дэмакратызацыі ў Беларусі. Выбарчы працэс характарызаваўся наяўнасьцю фундаментальных недахопаў, некаторыя зь якіх зьяўляюцца спэцыфічнымі для палітычнай сытуацыі ў Беларусі.

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BUCHAREST, 10 September 2001 (OSCE) -- The Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, deplored that Belarus had failed to meet the OSCE standards in the conduct of the presidential elections held on 9 September 2001. The elections were to constitute an important step in the democratic transition of Belarus towards the mainstream of European democracies.

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Ukraine, though taking into consideration the outcomes of the presidential race in Belarus, will nonetheless be waiting for the conclusions of the world community, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Anatoly Zlenko during his Monday conversation with journalists in Yalta, where he arrived to engage in the summit Ukraine-EU. “Belarusian elections are over, and we take this fact into account. However, we will wait for the final conclusion of the international community on the issue and make our final decision not until that,” – said Anatoly Zlenko.

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60 observers from Russia finished their work in Belarus. At their press-conference they called Belarusian election unfair and subjective. In the opinion of the Russian observers Belarusian people live in an authoritarian police state.

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The United States of America condemned the results of the presidential elections in Belarus, claiming that they are of no value at all. State Department representative Richard Reeker said that, regrettably, nothing in the electoral process was transparent or just. According to him, Lukashenko simply misused the ballot for his own good. Reeker added that the United States agree with the OSCE conclusions, which call elections in Belarus undemocratic. The official pinpointed that Washington will hold consultations with its European allies on the future situation development. OSCE, whose 300 observers were monitoring the poll, criticized the ballot as undemocratic and unfair. However, the organization didn’t proclaim the elections illegitimate, noting that they shouldn’t isolate Belarus at this point.

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According to Alexander Lukashenko, the OSCE Advisory-Monitoring Group has nothing more to do in Belarus. He said this during his September 10 encounter with the journalists in the Republic’s Palace. As you remember, previously Alexander Lukashenko threatened to “throw out” OSCE AMG head ambassador Hans-Georg Wieck right after the ballot.

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The International Limited Election Observation Mission at the presidential election in Belarus and the members of the Parliamentary Troika held a press conference and aired the preliminary findings and conclusions. The mission considers that the election fails to meet the OSCE commitments for democratic elections formulated in the 1990 Copenhagen Document and the Council of Europe standards. Radio Liberty offers a more detailed account of the press conference:

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Three activists of the ZUBR movement Aleksei Shydlovsky, Timofei Dranchuk and Evgeny Afnagel were summoned yesterday night to KGB. All three young men were apprehended in the street by KGB operatives, who forcefully drove them to the KGB department. ZUBR guys, who spent a few hours in custody, claim that the investigators vainly inquired about the organizational structure of the resistance movement, the sources of financial flows and system of holding mass rallies. KGB agents were particularly eager to learn about ZUBR’s standing on watch at the Trade Union Palace September 9-10 night and the personality of Vladimir Goncharik. The boys say that the interrogation has been videotaped.

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At 1 a.m. September 10, after the end of the press-conference of the CEC chairwoman Lydia Ermoshina, the press-conference host declared that at 2p.m. Alexander Lukashenko will meet with journalists in the Republic’s Palace, adding that “foreign press will be allowed in upon Foreign Ministry’s accreditation.” However, not only them, but also two of “Narodnaya Volya” correspondents and one from BelaPAN were prevented by the guards from entering the press-center hall.

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Gomel regional commission on presidential elections September 10 actually agreed that it inhibited the work of the observers, seeking to receive trustworthy information and highlight the electoral process. Deputy head of the commission Alexander Usov said that “observers exceeded their authority, demanding data on the election course and other information”. “The most zealous observers were driven by police out of the precinct’s site,” – said Alexander Usov.

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Around 700 violations of electoral legislation were registered by observers from “Civil Initiatives” in the Gomel region. Some 400 of them were registered at Gomel precincts, while the rest – in the districts, BelaPAN was told September 10 by deputy head of the organization Vladimir Katsora.

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