On February 22 Kiev staged a founding conference of the East-European department of the universal organization “Parliamentarians versus corruption”. Belarus was represented there by 13th Supreme Soviet deputy, Charter’97 human rights coordinator Ludmila Gryaznova.

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Recently prominent Belarusian women of art and culture declared their support of the People’s March “For Better Life!”, scheduled for March 12. Among them were artist Zinaida Bondarenko, filmmaker Tatiana Loginova, 13th Supreme Soviet deputy Ludmila Gryaznova, wife of the missing businessman Irina Krasovskaya and ZUBR activist Irina Tolstik. The females disagreed with the current state policy and called on the nation to engage in the spring rally.

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Representatives of public and political organizations of Grodno disseminated an appeal in connection with the forthcoming street rallies in Minsk. The authors of the appeal called on opposition representatives to give up an idea of holding demonstrations in March and rather concentrate on preparing one massive action instead.

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Gomel region’s largest public association “Civil initiatives” is on the verge of shutdown, reads the statement, circulated by the organization among other public associations of Belarus.

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OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s decision to accept the “national assembly” of Belarus as a full member of this organization, had been passed in hope for an adequate feedback on part of the Belarusian authorities, which would “facilitate progress in Belarus’ meeting the OSCE democratic standards”, BelaPAN quotes the former head of the OSCE Advisory-Monitoring Group in Belarus Hans-Georg Wieck as saying.

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Oftentimes we don’t have enough power and dwell in too bad a mood to mend a sparkling electric socket, leaking tap in the kitchen or put the book-shelf higher a bit, so that we wouldn’t hit it with our head every time. “I’ll surely do that tomorrow” we say. But tomorrow comes and we still are in no mood to do that. The things, which have to be done, get accumulated, the socket no longer functions well, the tap no longer opens and the shelf is turned upside down. All of a sudden you come to a realization that your apartment is all mess and you badly need good repair.

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Radio Svaboda interviewed Christopher Smith – head of the US delegation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, co-chairman of the US Congress’ Helsinki Commission, co-author of the “Act on democracy in Belarus 2003”. Smith called the decision to grant seats in OSCE PA to the “national assembly” unjustified.

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At the recent meeting of the Ministry of agriculture and foodstuffs the most acute issue in question was the fulfillment of current payments for energy resources by the agricultural organizations.

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51% of Belarusian residents couldn’t afford buying the most necessary foodstuffs last year. The surveyed people said that in course of the poll, conducted on January 20-30 by the sociological service of the Central committee of the Belarusian Party of Communists. 4thsd respondents, aged 18 and over, answered the questionnaire.

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