Belarus Democracy Act Considered In US Congress Again :: Charter'97 :: News

Thanks to US Congressman Christopher H. Smith, one of the initiators of the bill, it returned into the center of attention of the legislators on February 26 at the session of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations. Christopher H. Smith has proposed a so-called Amendment-in-the-Nature-of-a-Substitute – instead of the draft supported earlier he offered a different variant under the same heading. The Committee on International Relations approved this proposal, Radio Svaboda informs.

The bill envisaged support for democracy building in Belarus and for development of the civil society, assistance to independent press and radio. The Act also demands the US Government to investigate human rights violations, people abductions, illegal weapons trade, and private capitals of the highest leadership of Belarus; and envisages concrete economical and political sanctions against the Belarusian regime.

The bill of the Belarus Democracy Act first appeared in the US Congress in 2001. It has gone through several stages of existence, and finally it has become a part of the Law on international relations, a so-called Paragraph-15. Last summer Chamber of Representatives passed it unanimously. But because of the debate in the Senate on financing of certain sections (not a Belarusian part) the Senators had not passed the law.

What is the difference of the document from original versions?

Financing is not so concretized in the last variant if compared with the first one. The legislature establishment decided that concrete sums are to be specified according to immediate assessment and needs.

Now, after the Committee on International Relations approved the bill, it can be voted in the House of Representatives. The progress is expected in the Senate in the near future as well. According to the congressmen’s evaluation, the bill can appear on the agenda in March or April.