“Alexander Lukashenko has today the last opportunity to preserve his reputation of a politician – risk his own power and announce democratic elections into the parliament, which would be recognized by the independent European observers. Otherwise, he will be thrown off the political scene as a dictator,” – said Vitautas Landsbergis of the Lithuanian Conservative faction in the Sojm in his interview to “Nasha Niva”. “Lithuania, just like Poland, doesn’t intend to fully break up ties with Belarus. This, however, will be no solace to Lukashenko,” – said Landsbergis: “He went too far. Something that happened in Prague can be considered green light for toppling Lukashenko. Moscow turned her back on him: if Russia had backed him, Europe would have treated him more gently. Prague signaled the start of action, showing that Europe will not mourn if Lukashenko is overthrown or suddenly falls badly sick.”

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The Council of Europe representative claims that the issue of granting Belarus membership in this organization is untimely, said during the Friday press-conference in the central headquarters of “Interfax” in Moscow deputy CoE secretary general Mr.Buer-Buciccio. Deputy secretary general mentioned the conditions, which need to be fulfilled by Belarus in order to become a CoE member. RIA “Novosti” correspondent reports that the woman mentioned freedom of media, independent judiciary and attempts at the eradication of corruption.

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The authorities try hard to prevent democrats from opposition from getting included into the electoral commissions make-up. Radio Svaboda reports that representatives of only two parties – Liberal Democratic and Communist – were included into the Mogilev regional and town commission. The Minsk city commission will embrace only two representatives of the political parties – Yuri Palchevsky of the Belarusian Popular Front and Mikhail Dashkevich of LDPB. Vitebsk commission will have among its members LDPB, PCB and CPB people, as well as representatives of state-oriented organizations: women’s organization and Lukashenko’s BRYU youth union. UCP and BSDP (NG) people, who were also nominated for the posts, had never chanced to get elected.

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The US decision to deny entry visa to Alexander Lukashenko remains unchangeable, said on Thursday in Moscow the official representative of the US embassy in Russia. That’s how he commented on the reports that the Belarusian leader is ready to consider the return to Belarus of the OSCE observatory mission.

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December 5 in Mogilev saw the formation of the regional and city electoral commission on the election of deputies into the local councils of the 24th convocation. Each of them included two representatives from political parties and public organizations. The regional electoral commission is composed of 13 persons, while the city one – of 11. The first one also includes members of the regional daughter organization of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Belarusian Republic’s Youth Union. Among the members of the city electoral commission are representative of the Party of communists of Belarus and the Mogilev Association of industrialists and entrepreneurs. As you know, representatives of opposition democratic parties of Gomel, Grodno and Mogilev never had a chance to get included into the commissions’ make-up.

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Former Belarusian ambassador in Japan Petr Kravchenko reported that on December 13 he intends to pave his way back to Minsk. The diplomat did not rule out a possibility that there can be “inspired political provocations against him” there.

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In course of the yesterday’s visit to BT, ONT and CTV Alexander Lukashenko told the personnel of the three domestic television channels to win the Belarusian audience. BELTA quotes him as saying that “today the information space is dominated by the Russian channels, which are richer and more cunning and flexible. The recent few months showed how little respect these have for the Belarusian nation,” – noted Lukashenko.

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On Thursday the president of “LUKOIL” Vagit Alikperov declined to engage in a big privatization deal on the sale of almost 74,95% of “Slavneft’s” stock. Analysts claim that the likeliest candidate is “Sibneft”, assuming that the company “won’t pay too much”. That means that the Russian government’s hopes to get at least $2,5-3bln for “Slavneft” can never come true.

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