During January 29 PACE session there took place a working meeting between the chairman of the special PACE commission on the political disappearances in Belarus Sergei Kovalev with representatives of the official Belarusian delegation: “parliamentarians” Leonid Glukhovsky and Andrei Losev. The meeting also attracted chairman of the United Social-Democratic Party Valentina Polevikova and deputy UCP head Yaroslav Romanchuk, as well as the PACE legal department’s rapporteur Vatslav Stankevich.

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Dozens of thousands Belarusian nationals will be deprived of an opportunity to watch RTR channel starting from February 1. 7 transmitters in Braslav, Bragin, Zhlobin, Zhitkovichi, Maisk, Slonim, Smorgon and Krichev – which used to broadcast RTR programs earlier, will now televise regional TV instead. According to the official version, this move is aimed not at blocking Russian media, but exclusively at the development and promotion of country’s regional television.

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Today we are witnessing another great plundering of the nation. The root-cause of the massive nation’s impoverishment is Alexander Lukashenko’s incompetent governing. As any other official, who failed to carry out his duties, he has to resign, said one of the organizers of the People’s March “For Better Life!” Dmitry Bondarenko.

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Problems persist with media freedom across Europe and further serious violations have taken place since 2001, the Parliamentary Assembly said today, adopting a report by its General Rapporteur on the Media Tytti Isohookana-Asunmaa (Finland, LDR). In a country-by-country analysis, the parliamentarians deplored:

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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 you may read the full text of the statement:

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Belarus has no chances of being a member of the united Europe with the current regime, retaining grip on power, deems secretary general of the International Association “European Movement” Henrik Kroner. “In order to turn into a EU member you got to reform yourselves from the inside first. That refers to any other country as well. You need to establish a reliable democratic system governed by the rule of law. As concerns the economy, you need to have structure and forces in order to be competitive enough at the free market. Belarus has absolutely no chances to join EU with the present-day political regime,” – said Henrik Kroner in an interview to “BDG”.

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On January 29-30 there take place throughout the country the meetings of the district electoral commissions for registering candidates for the deputies of the local councils. They finish verification of documents, declarations and various legal and bureaucratic formalities. The final outcomes of registration and full lists of candidates will be made known by January 31 at the soonest. However, from different corners of Belarus there emanate data about the exertion of moral pressure on candidates by the local authorities and directors’ of companies. They don’t scruple to use any means to achieve their goal…

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The US ambassador Michael Kozak visited on Tuesday the condemned journalist Pavel Mozheiko. Mr.Kozak met with the journalist on his way to Gomel. They met at 3p.m. sharp at the power-saw bench “Babushkino” where the journalist is employed. The American diplomat wanted to see the journalist’s working conditions.

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On January 29 the Central district court of Minsk ruled ten days of administrative arrest against the activist from opposition Vyacheslav Sivchik. Right from the courtroom they convoyed him to the Central district court of Minsk and then escorted to Okrestina pre-trial confinement center. He was blamed over participation in anti-Russian January 19 picket on the day of Vladimir Putin’s recent coming to Minsk.

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