Democratic forces of Belarus achieved agreement about common campaign “Say Lukashenka NO!” The campaign was supported by parties and organizations that participate in coalition “5+” and “Free Belarus”, group “Republic” youth movement “Zubr” and other public organizations and civil initiatives. Campaign “Say Lukashenka NO!” became the next step in developing agreements about joint actions that had been adopted on the 8th of September.

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On September 7, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka announced that a referendum would be held on whether he may run for a third term in office on October 17, the date of the parliamentary elections.

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An unusual action in international relations, or at least in Russian-Belarusian relations, has taken place. Members of the Belarusian opposition came to Moscow and were received by Russian officials. Vladimir Chernyshov (Russian NTV ) reports.

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Boris Nemtsov, former co-chairman of the SPS (Union of Right Forces party), Russia: If Lukashenko is re-elected, further developments will be as follows. Opposition politicians will be banned from participating in elections, and newspapers will be closed. Lukashenko is hopeful that the Russian authorities are busy with other things now. According to Nemtsov, Vladimir Putin indirectly opposed Lukashenko`s candidacy when he said that, as a guarantor of the Constitution, he was against constitutional amendments.

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The Sejm [lower house of parliament] on Friday [10 September] passed a resolution on human and citizen rights violations in Belarus and appealed to the Belarussian authorities to respect the laws of democracy and inalienable human and citizen rights.

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Aleksandr Veshnyakov, head of the Russian central election commission, described a referendum on lifting the two-term limit on the presidency as Belarus` internal affair, noting that a similar plebiscite would be impossible in Russia. "They [the Belarusians] can decide on the matter proceeding from their legal opportunities," the RIA Novosti news agency quoted him as saying at last week`s news conference.

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Head of BNR Rada Ivonka Survilla thusly commented on Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s decision to declare referendum in her interview to Belarusian service of Radio Liberty: "I didn’t expect anything else from Lukashenka. It is one more deceit of the Constitution which he swore to defend. It will be new usurpation of authority. No matter what the referendum results are – they will be falsified in favor of the usurper".

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The European Union may take action against Belarus, including a visa ban and asset freezes, if the ex-Soviet state holds a referendum to extend the term of President Alexander Lukashenko, an EU official said Friday.

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Amnesty International condemns the conviction on 7 September of two opposition activists for publicly insulting President Lukashenka in a satirical leaflet.

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The embassy of the United States in Belarus on Friday expressed deep concern over the sentences passed against two leaders of Grodno’s market vendors. Valery Levonevsky, head of market vendors’ strike committee, and Aleksandr Vasilyev, the committee’s deputy chairman, on September 7 were sentenced to two years in prison each for allegedly insulting Aleksandr Lukashenko.

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Yaroslav Romanchuk, deputy chairman of the United Civic Party (UCP), has pulled out of the parliamentary race in the number 108 district in Minsk to clear the path for another two pro-democracy nominees. Yury Khodyko, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), and Nikolai Statkevich, leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party "Narodnaya Hramada," plan to be on the ballot in the district.

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The government-controlled ONT television channel on September 8 launched ads carrying the slogan “For a Strong and Prosperous Belarus,” which was used in Aleksandr Lukashenko’s campaign during the 2001 presidential race.

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Visiting Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said here Friday that Belarus, due to its vicinity to western Europe, could play an effective role to promote dialogue between civilizations. In his formal talks with his Belarusian counterpart Aleksandr Lukashenkov, Khatami stressed that Iran considers as important expansion of its relations with Belarus. Touching upon Iran`s exclusive exhibition held in Belarus by private sector, Khatami added, "We have to make further efforts to remove the obstacles and expand mutual relations."

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