PLANS CLARIFIED, GUILTY ONES FOUND :: Charter'97 :: News

On Tuesday the Belarusian leader addressed the country’s parliament with the annual speech. Alexander Lukashenko’s two-hour long address abounded in political digressions, but contained no revelatory statements. As different from Vladimir Putin’s address, publicized last week, Alexander Lukashenko pointed out in his appeal both inside and outside foes. Those, who disagree with his policy were labeled “rag-tags”.

The head of state also said that he wouldn’t let businessmen enter the parliament. Despite his boastings about economic liberalization, he said nothing about legislation guarantees for the business, nor about the decisions, stimulating the influx of investments into the country.

The stated plan on reaching the level of GPD growth, unseen by the neighboring states, - 40% by the year 2005 (i.e. the annual increase constitutes 9%) has already been called by the independent pundits “unrealistic”.

The incumbent touched upon the staff redundancy in the government too, saying that the “state apparatus must be in good form and it needs to lose some of the bureaucratic weight, it put on during Soviet times”.

Lukashenko pointed at those, guilty of regular salary payment delays – the new Prime Minister and the new Minister of social protection. The president entitled them to clear off their salary indebtedness by Easter (May 5) and the Victory Day (May 9) at the latest.

For the first time he publicly called on the OSCE to review the mandate, stipulating the OSCE observers’ functions in Belarus. Lukashenko said that the Belarusian leadership had been too patient on the observers, which had been pursuing one task – toppling the ruling government. “We endured that with clenched teeth though,” – added Lukashenko.

His utter dissatisfaction over the foreign media commentaries about the situation in Belarus is no news as well. Reportages about the brutal dispersal by the Minsk police of a Protest March were called provocation, designed to destabilize the situation in the country and prepare good soil in Russia ahead of George Bush’s coming to Moscow to meet Putin.