This week the PACE bureau in Maastricht discussed the Belarusian issue again. The reason is the official request on PACE President Peter Shider’s name for renewal of the status of a special invitee for Belarus. The request is signed by the chairmen of the both parliamentary houses Papou and Navitsky. However, the basic argument of the Belarusian authorities smells of “spoilt fish”. Papou and Navitsky say that the parliamentary elections of 2000 were held according to the new electoral codex passed with the consideration of national and foreign experts’ opinions. Thus, the status is to be resumed immediately.

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The diplomatic officials of the EU member states and EU candidate countries accredited in Minsk “express their disappointment, as the minister of information avoids discussing freedom of mass media in Belarus”, as the statement spread by the Italian embassy on November 27 runs. The statement says that the request for an appointment with the Minister was submitted in June 2002 and “was resubmitted due to various reasons”.

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The incumbent authorities in Belarus regard the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR) as the prototype of the contemporary Republic of Belarus. At the same time, their opposition believes that the true beginning of the present-day Belarus is the Belarusian National Republic (BNR). It was established on the debris of the Russian Empire on March 25, 1918. Now this day is celebrated each year by the Belarusian opposition as the Freedom Day. But the BNR lived just for a few months. The Bolsheviks replaced it with the BSSR. Yet the BNR is still alive but abroad. It has all state symbols, ranging from its flag to formal leadership. Canadian Belarusian Ivonka Survilla was reelected as chairwoman of the BNR Rada, or Council, at the Rada`s recent session in New York. In the following interview with Naviny.By, she speaks about what the BNR used to be, what it is and what it can be in Belarusian politics.

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On November 27 the Supreme Court of Belarus made a decision on liquidation of the republican charitable public association “Helping Hand” basing on Article 57 of the civil codex.

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