Leaders of the Belarusian opposition parties Anatoly Lebedko (United Civil Party), Sergei Kalyakin (Party of communists of Belarus, Alexander Bukhvostov (Belarusian labor party), Stanislav Shushkevich (Belarusian Social-Democratic Gromada) and Valentina Polevikova (United Social-Democratic Party) passed on January 29 a statement, in which they mention deterioration of a political climate in Belarus and declared inadmissibility of the “national assembly’s” legitimization. Following read an excerpt from their statement:

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On January 28 the electoral committees opened registration of candidates into the local councils. The whole procedure will last until January 31. Secretary of the Central Electoral Commission Nikolai Lozovik informed BelaPAN that in total 26,567 nominees would contend for 24,012 deputies’ seats, which is slightly more than one runner per seat. The highest competition level has been registered in the capital with 305 candidates for 55 deputies’ seats. In 360 electoral constituencies in the regions there nominated themselves 769 contenders, while in 55 capital’s constituencies – 305 or 5-6 nominees per every mandate in average. In district and village councils there will be practically no alternative at the voting. Lozovik underlined that in general the electoral campaign has been going on quite peacefully. CEC received no complaints about electoral law violations, said he.

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Independent cinematographers refute the official report of the Committee for State Control’s press-center. As BelaPAN previously reported, on January 27 the CSC press-service circulated the statement, explaining the motives for arresting the property of the national public association “Belarusian union of cinematographers” in course of its financial examination, commenced on January 2.

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On January 27 the PACE sub-committee for Belarus held deliberations on the situation in Belarus. The Belarusian side was represented at the debates by the chairman of the United Civil Party Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the unregistered United Social-Democratic Party Valentina Polevikova and UCP deputy head Yaroslav Romanchuk. The invited representatives of the “national assembly” didn’t show up at the hearings, leaving their booked seats vacant.

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On January 28 the unknown brave-hearts from Brest wrote a popular banner at the wall of the local hotel, which is still under construction. The slogan was spray-painted in huge letters and so was clearly seen from the street. On the other side of the building they painted a white-red-white flag and graffiti “ZUBR”.

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The Belarusian Orthodox Church submitted to the government the draft agreement, regulating the relations between the church and the state in the political, economic, spiritual and social spheres. “State’s cooperation with the church is a prerequisite of the public stability, civil unity and religious peace,” – reads the draft agreement of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, the copy of which was received by “Interfax”.

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The Supreme Belarusian Court is set to consider the appeal of the “Association of the Belarusian Language” (TBM) against the policy of the Justice Ministry, which reprimanded the organization two months ago. Given the court doesn’t cancel the warning, TBM may face the danger of closure, for it will be their second one. Expectedly, the final court’s verdict will be pronounced on January 29.

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Expedition of journalists and public representatives to the state national forest reserve “Belovezhskaya Puscha” is scheduled for January 29, BelaPAN was told by Valery Dranchuk – editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Belovezhskaya Puscha” and head of the new public initiative “Terra-Convention”, set up for the purpose of protecting this ancient European wood.

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