The "Grodnenskaya Pravda" refused to print the election program of the candidate to the chamber of representatives in Hrodna Central electoral district number 52 Valery Fralou, told Yauhen Akaronka, agent of the candidate, to the Pahonya.
Vendors on strike presented petition to the chairman of Hrodna regional executive committee Uladzimir Sauchanka a petition with their demands. Tomorrow at noon they are planning to come to Lenin Square for the answer. The vendors demand the government to fix a rate othe VAT equal to zero for self-employed entrepreneurs. To their mind, it could solve the situation.
As the internet-source Pahonya informs, during the meeting in Hrodna three thousands of market vendors blocked the traffic in the central street of the city. The vendors were indignant that none of the representatives of the city authorities came to the protesters. Policemen forced the demonstrators back from the street with difficulty. After that the chairman of the Hrodna regional executive committee Uladzimir Sauchanka (Vladimir Savchenko) came out to talk to entrepreneurs. He tried to persuade people to stop the strike that started on March 1 as a protest against new system of value-added tax payment. He also promised to employ those who could lose jobs because of impossibility to pay the new taxes. At 2.30 p.m. Minsk time the protest rally in Hrodna continued.
The leaders of six opposition parties, at their March 2 meeting, decided to send a petition to the justice ministry suggesting that its relocation directive should not apply to party cells registered before it was issued.
The permanent council of pro-democracy forces, at its Wednesday’s meeting, approved a procedure for selecting a single opposition candidate in the 2006 presidential election.
During their visit to Washington on March 2 the leaders of the civil initiative “Freedom to Political Prisoners”, members of the Council of Civil initiatives “Free Belarus” Pavel and Igor Marynich had a meeting with American Senator John McCain. The sons of the political prisoner Mikhail Marynich, who two months ago was sentenced to five years of imprisonment, informed the American Senator about the situation with human rights in Belarus, and in particular, about politically motivated imprisonments of people in Belarus. Igor and Pavel Marynich told the Senator about the case of their father, former Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador of Belarus Mikhail Marynich, about the leaders of the national Strike Committee of Traders, members o the “Free Belarus” Valery Levaneuski and Alyaksandr Vasilyeu, and about the arrests regularly experienced by Belarusian democrats for organizing and participation in peaceful protest rallies.
The Minsk City Prosecutor’s Office has dropped a case against Garri Pogonyailo, deputy head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee who was accused of slandering Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko in his interview with Sweden`s TV 4 channel.
Most of Belarus` non-food markets did not function on March 2, Aleksandr Lapotko, deputy chairman of the Perspektiva business association, told BelaPAN. Information gathered over the day makes it possible to insist that most market vendors continued to be on strike, protesting the requirement that they should pay value-added tax on imports from Russia, Mr. Lapotko said.
The European Union (EU)’s draft action plan for promoting democracy in Belarus has been submitted for consideration to Benita Ferrero Waldner, EU commissioner for external relations, and Javier Solana, foreign policy chief of the 25-member bloc.
A delegation of Belarus’ pro-democracy forces is expected to visit the United States in mid-March at the invitation of the US State Department, Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the United Civic Party, told BelaPAN.
The pastor of the New Life Church community affiliated to the Association of Full Gospel Christians was charged with organizing an unauthorized worship gathering in the number 71 building on Kovalyova Street, which authorities refused to re-register last year as the community’s legal address.
Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong said here Wednesday China and Belarus have seen "satisfactory cooperation," and China will make joint efforts with Belarus to "further bilateral relations." Zeng made the remarks in meeting with the visiting Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov. The two countries have developed friendship rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations,Zeng said.
Belarus’ largest breweries have begun using new identification marks on their products as required by the Belarusian leader’s edict dated September 14, 2004. Starting March 18, all producers and importers of beer and engine oils must mark their goods with special stickers proving their legality.
Three employees of Regpay Co., an Internet billing company in Belarus, have pleaded guilty to charges related to their roles in an international child-pornography operation. They face sentences of up to 30 years in a U.S. federal prison. Yahor Zalatarou, president of Regpay, on Monday pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport child porn via computer, and Aliaksandr Boika, technical administrator, admitted to advertising the illegal images. Both pleaded guilty to money laundering in connection with the illicit enterprise.
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