As of the morning of January 11, an initiative group of Alyaksandr Lukashenka has collected 930, 000 signatures in support of his nomination as a candidate for presidency, the “Interfax” agency informed.
On January 9 the editor-in-chief of the independent socio-political newspaper “Vitsebskij Kurjer” Uladzimir Bazan was summoned for a conversation to the head of ideology department of Vitsebsk regional executive committee Mikhail Kuzmich. The official has expressed discontent over the titles of the texts, viewing them as negative. When Uladzimir Bazan noted that state-owned monopolies “Belposhta” and “Belsajuzdruk” has blocked dissemination of “Vitsebskij Kurjer”, answered that these are internal problems of the three economic entities, and they should settle them themselves.
The special rapporteur for the UN human rights commission for Belarus Wednesday painted a dismal picture of the current human rights situation in Belarus. "Unfortunately, human rights situation in Belarus worsen and worsen. The situation is deteriorating instead of improving,`` Adrian Severin, told reporters in Brussels Wednesday.
The Constitutional Court of Belarus has refused to examine the legality of controversial amendments to the Criminal Code that provide for severe penalties for activities deemed to be fomenting a revolution.
"The united Europe has no right to put up with a dictatorship on its eastern frontiers," Alyaksandr Milinkevich, united opposition forces` single presidential contender, said during his Monday [9 January] visit to France. While in Paris, the Belarusian politician met French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, several French lawmakers and prominent politicians.
France expressed unambiguous support for the democratic process in Belarus, Aleksandr Milinkevich, united opposition forces` presidential contender, commented to BelaPAN on his Monday trip to Paris at the invitation of the French government.
The chief editor of the embattled newspaper Narodnaya Volya has appealed to Aleksandr Lukashenko after the second print run of the Russian-printed publication was stopped on Belarus` Russian border since the beginning of the year.
Alyaksandr Lukashenka considers that the attempts of some states to underestimate the scale of integration processes at the post-Soviet space are futile. “By integrating, we are moving in a right direction; and pulling together our efforts, resources, manufacturing capacities, scientific potential, and reinforcement of cooperation in international sphere is only to the benefit of our nations and our state. It would be unpardonable to lose that,” Lukashenka said on Wednesday at the consultations on problems of Belarus’ politics in multilateral integration unions at the CIS space.
A human rights activists from Barysau, Ales Abramovich, has been detained in Minsk at Engels Street, in front of the building of the Administration of Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Mr Abramovich had unfurled a placard “Elections Without Dictator Lukashenka”. In a minute guards of the presidential building detained him, the Radio Svaboda informs.
Hundreds of Jeans bands appeared yesterday in center of Minsk. Residents of the capital could see them on trees, fences and even monuments. Besides “Zubr” activists were handing out jeans bands to passers by.
Today in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, a swearing-in ceremony of the president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has taken place. The Belarusian delegation was headed by the chairman of the “council of republic” Henadz Navitski. Lukashenka was not present at the ceremony. It has not been informed whether he had been invited there, though Russian president Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili, Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Croatian president Stjepan Mesic, as well as the heads of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have arrived to Astana.
By the building where the editorial office of the newspaper “Narodnaya Volya” is situated, a look-out post of law-enforcers, “people in mufti”, is put out, the press-service of the United Civil Party informs.
On January 10 an activist of the youth resistance movement “Zubr” Alyaksandr Kazakou was summoned to the Prosecutor’s office for interrogation. A criminal action has been initiated against him and another activist, Zmitser Zubro.
Form today a political prisoner Paval Sevyarynets, who is sentenced to a so-called corrective labour in the village of Malae Sitna, Vitsebsk region, is to be sent to tree cutting. It is obvious that as long as the date of the elections is approaching, the regime is trying to isolate the politician.
Rechytsa authorities are liquidating a family business of Leanid Nevar, the leader of the national association of vendors “Perspektyva”. An activist views that as retaliation for his social and political activities.
One thousand coloured balloons will soar to Belarus from Bialystok, northeast Poland next Monday in support of democratic change in the country, the Polish branch of the Robert Schuman Foundation announced Tuesday, PAP reported.
Police have seized the entire print run of Belarus` largest opposition daily for the second time this month, the paper said today. Narodnaya Volya (People`s Will), which has been harassed by authorities for criticizing President Aleksandr Lukashenko, lost all 30,000 copies on January 9.
In his election programme "Belarus: the Road to the Future", an opposition candidate for Presidency Alexander Milinkevch, promises to provide Internet access for 90% of Belarusian households. The programme says about developments in Belarusian computer industry and software producing. In general, Milinkevich`s programme is focused on Internet access. There are no statements about country`s ICT strategy, nothing is said about knowledge economy, e-governance, e-learning , e-health and other related issues.
As of January 10, 81,364 signatures have been collected in support of the leader of Belarusian opposition Alyaksandr Milinkevich’s nomination as a candidate in presidential race. The number of signatures in support of Milinkevich is rapidly nearing the needed number for registration, 100,000 signatures. As long as the collection of signatures is to last until January 27, one can safely say that the support of Alyaksandr Milinkevich would grow considerably.
Belarus ranks seventh worst among 161 countries in economic freedom, according to the 2006 Index of Economic Freedom released by the Washington-based Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal.
The state enterprise Ukrinterenerho, the country`s biggest electricity exporter, started to export electricity to Belarus on January 1. Ukrainian News has learned this from a statement by the Fuel and Energy Ministry.
Dear Colleagues. Remember, please, you are expected to refer to the Charter`97 Press Center when using the site materials. News export , javascript-informer
, javascript-informer
