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4:08 p.m. – Congress in Progress. Election of a Single Candidate (Photos)
16:42, 02/10/2005
The Congress of Democratic Forces of Belarus is underway. Election of a single candidate of democratic forces in the second round (photo). 
16:27, 02/10/2005
The US Ambassador to Belarus George Kroll, who is present at the Congress of Democratic Forces as an observer, in his exclusive comment to the Charter’97 press center: “The opinion of a foreign diplomat is probably not so important, as the opinion of the Belarusian people. It is the choice of the Belarusians. I think that the election of a single candidate is a transparent democratic process. I think that teaming up of the political parties and organisations alone is a great success. Now the next step should be made – to talk with the nation, to what extent it is possible in the hard Belarusian conditions”.
15:22, 02/10/2005
Syarhei Kalyakin, who has dropped out after the first round of the election of a single candidate of the Belarusian political opposition, is “not at all disappointed”. “Taking in consideration that there were only 90 my supporters in the Congress, 152 votes for me show that I have convinced many people to vote for me. I am not at all disappointed by the results of the vote. I cannot say now who will win in the second round, but I am sure that the results of the two candidates are to be very close. However, no matter what decision would be taken, I can positively say that our coalition would continue to exist. I will work in the common team,” said the leader of the Party of Communists of Belarus to the Charter’97 press –center.
15:14, 02/10/2005
We offer you the biographies of the two contenders of the Belarusian political opposition at the presidential elections in summer -2006.
14:57, 02/10/2005
One of the leaders of the Belarusian “civil society” Alyaksandr Milinkevich wins according to the results of the first round of election a single candidate of political opposition. He has 383 votes of the delegates of the Congress, or 47.1% of votes. His main competitor, the leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka takes 32.3% (263 votes). The total number of the delegates who have taken part in the vote is 813. The third challenger, the head of the Belarusian Communist Party Syarhei Kalyakin, wins 18.7% (152 votes). In about half in hour the second round of the election is to take place. The delegates of the Congress are to choose between Alyaksandr Milinkevich and Anatol Lyabedzka. The winner is to get more than a half of all the Congress’ delegates’ votes.
14:33, 02/10/2005
Some incidents have taken place at today’s work of the Congress of Democratic Forces of Belarus. Mass media inform that anti-opposition slogans have appeared at the fa?ade of the House of Culture of the Minsk Automobile Factory, where the Congress is held. It is written in big letters: “Yes to the Union, No to the European Union” and “NO to the prostitute opposition!”
Symbols of National Bolsheviks are painted nearby. The administration of the House of Culture said that the inscriptions are to be removed at the expense of the Steering Committee of the Congress. It is also informed that some minutes ago a young man tipped a jar of sour cream over Stanislau Shushkevich. The accident has taken place in front of the cameras of the Belarusian state TV, that happened to be nearby “by chance”.
14:27, 02/10/2005
Voting in the election of a single candidate of opposition in the presidential elections in Belarus has finished. Right now ballots count is taking place. At 2 p.m. the result is to be announced. After that the name of a single candidate is to be announced, or the second round is to be held. Stay with us!
14:27, 02/10/2005
The Belarusian democratic non-party leaders voice their support to a single candidate which is to be elected by the Congress of Democratic Forces today. They welcome the process of the Belarusian opposition’s joining together. It was stated at the today’s press conference in Minsk by the chairman of the Council of the Belarusian intelligentsia Uladzimir Kolas, former speaker of the “council of republic” of the “chamber of representatives” Alyaksandr Vajtovich, former head of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus Uladzimir Hancharyk, former deputy and leader of the parliamentary group “Respublika” Uladzimir Parfyanovich, ex-Minister of Agriculture of Belarus Vasil Lyavonau. In recent times all these personalities in a varying degree have been expressing their intentions to run in the presidential elections in Belarus.
13:45, 02/10/2005
The State All-National TV informed yesterday that allegedly under the aegis of the NATO in Vilnius a rehearsal of the Congress had been held, and practically all members of the presidium has been instructed there. According to the information of the ONT channel, allegedly all activists of the Congress had been instructed by the American Ambassador in Minsk.
13:39, 02/10/2005
Igor Marynich, a son of the political prisoner Mikhail Marynich, on behalf of his father an address to participants of the Congress of Democratic Forces. “I am with you with all my soul. Stick together; cast away ambitions, only in this way we can win”. Igor Marynich added himself that “if we miss the chance [to elect a single candidate], sacrifices of political prisoners would be futile”, AFN informs.
13:30, 02/10/2005
The Belarusian political prisoner, leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich sent a video address to the participants of the Congress of Democratic Forces, AFN informs. “The free future of Belarus depends on you only. The authorities would try to split you. Do not give in,” Statkevich said.
13:26, 02/10/2005
The second day of the Congress’ work has started with presentation of the candidates. In their speeches Anatol Lyabedzka (Lebedko), Syarhei Kalyakin and Alyaksandr Milinkevich underlined their adherence to the ideals of democracy, and expressed hope for the victory of the single candidate of the presidential elections in summer next year.
13:24, 02/10/2005
Director of the Independent Institute of Social and Economic Research , that has been closed in Belarus and moved to Vilnius, Aleh Manaeu, addressed the participants of the Congress of Democratic Forces in Minsk, Radio Svaboda informs. Aleh Manaeu told about the results of September opinion poll, according to which 45% of Belarusians believe that somebody else and not Lukashenka must rule the country. 10% of people are ready to vote for a single candidate elected at the Congress.
12:52, 02/10/2005, photo by ByMedia.net
On October 2 the second day of the Congress of the Democratic Forces of Belarus in Minsk go on. Today a single opposition’s candidate in next years’ presidential race is to be elected. There are three challengers for this position: the chairman of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, a first secretary of the Communist Party of Belarus Syarhei Kalyakin and one of the leaders of the “third sector” Alyaksandr Milinkevich. The elections are to have one round. One more candidate, the leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada Stanislau Shushkevich, has withdrawn his candidature at the election. Participants of the Congress represent majority of oppositional parties and public associations of Belarus. They have signed an agreement that all the forces represented at the Congress would support the candidate elected today. The information about the Congress of Democratic Forces is to be provided to our Internet-site on an on-line basis.
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