Hopes of 60 per cent of Minsk dwellers, who were questioned during an opinion poll concerning Lukashenka’s reelection, were not justified. This result was received during the survey carried out by staff of the sociological service “Zerkalo” of the information agency BelaPAN on the eve of the year 2004. 500 city-dwellers aged 18 and older have been questioned.

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With the NATO and the EU extension to the East former communist Eastern Europe is becoming considerably closer to the West. However, two former Soviet republics remain behind and drift farther and farther away from democratic European states.

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The head of the public commission on investigation of the cases of missing oppositionists Aleh Volchek has sent his comments on the report of Christos Pourgourides, prepared for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. As the former investigator himself, he calls attention of Christos Pourgourides to a number of issues which were not reflected in his report on political abductions, but have a vital importance.

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The OSCE office in Minsk will continue its work in two major directions this year: the implementation of projects and monitoring fulfillment of obligations by Belarus, the head of the office, Eberhard Heyken, told Belapan. According to him, the OSCE office "gained much experience" last year. "Therefore, the conditions for starting work this year will be much better than the starting conditions in 2003," Heyken believes.

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The staff and students of the National Humanitarian Lyceum of Jakub Kolas have returned from Vilnya to Minsk. Professors and children are satisfied with the results of the teaching in Lithuania, where for the first time in this half a year they had an opportunity to have lessons under one roof. After a week vacations studies for the students of the Lyceum start again.

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The head of Belazersk town branch of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Yawheny Akaronka and his wife, the deputy of town council Natallya Akaronka were beaten up by the unknown on January 2 in the evening. There were six assaulters. Yawhen Akaronka was placed to a hospital with grave injuries.

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Activists of a democratic opposition Raman Kazakevich and Dasha Maldavanava were detained on December 5 in Minsk at 7.30 p.m. by the store “Tsentralny” by the two special police forces officers for their attempt to give out New Year and Christmas cards with congratulations from European coalition “Free Belarus”/ Despite of the fact that there were imprint at the cards, young oppositionists were taken to the police department of the Central District of Minsk, were a report relating the article 143 of the Administrative Code has been lodged. They were released in an

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Edited by Victor Cole
Vol. 7, No. 1
January 2004

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On January 5, 2004 at 4 p.m. in Hrodna in the regional Puppet theatre a charitable New Year party for orphans, children from poor families and families having many children. This festive event was organized by Hrodna businessmen and Hrodna public women’s organization “Spring of Mercy”. Besides, this event was organized with the support of the European Coalition “Free Belarus”.

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State of small business in Belarus has worsened over the past year, believe the leaders of the businessmen’s movement. The chairman of the Belarusian public organization “Private Property” Leanid Malakhaw considers the past year “rather stressful” for entrepreneurs. “A few unpopular decrees on small business have been adopted, which restrict and complicate work of the businessmen”, -- he said.

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