International League for Human Rights - Belarus Update :: Charter'97 :: News

Vol. 10, No. 4
January 19 – January 25, 2006
Edited by Maria Kabalina and Olga Tarasov
International League for Human Rights

Table of Contents

I. Domestic
1. Almost 57 Thousand Belarusians Get State Target Social Assistance in 2005 (BelTa)
2. Belarus Enlarges Financing of Chernobyl Cleanup Program (Itar-Tass)
3. Scaremongering and Scared People: the Election Campaign Continues in Belarus (The Jamestown Foundation)
4. Signature Collecting For Presidential Hopefuls in Belarus Ending (Itar-Tass)
5. Belarus May Start Building Nuclear Power Plant in 2008 (Xinhua News Agency)
6. The Government of Belarus Adopted Electronics R&D Programme (E-Belarus.ORG)
7. Power Supply Cut in About 150 Settlements in Belarus (Itar-Tass)
8. Two Belarusian Presidential Contenders Receive Official Warnings (RFE/RL)
9. Twice More Money Allocated For Mass Media From the Budget (BAJ)

II. Regional
10. Lukashenko: Transit Tariffs Inside EurAsEC Must Be Imposed at the Level of Presidents (REGNUM News Agency)
11. Putin Introduced New Ambassador to Lukashenka (Charter97)
12. Russia-Belarus Unified External Border Program Extended Until 2007 (RIA Novosti)
13. Russian, Belarus Presidents Meet in St. Petersburg (RIA Novosti)
14. Belarus, Russia Border Services To Discuss Cooperation (Itar-Tass)
15. Russia, Belarus Approve Joint 2006 Budget (MosNews.Com)
16. Duma Speaker Say Referendums On Russia-Belarus Union Constitution Near (RFE/RL)
17. Lukoil Plans To Invest $500-600 Million in Belarus (Interfax)

III. International
18. Lukashenka Is One of Planet’s Worst Dictators (ZUBR)
19. Milinkievich: Belarusians Have To Fight For Independence (Polskiej Agencji Prasowej)
20. Belarus: Opposition Wants More Focused Support From The EU (RFE/RL)
21. Belarus To Bring Rules of Filling Out Transit Papers In Line With European Standards (The National Centre of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus)
22. Belarus Hopes for OSCE Objectivity During Elections (Interfax)
23. U.S. Welcomes Belarus Invitation for Election Observers in March (The Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State)
24. A European Dictatorship (The Washington Times)
25. Minsk Invites Election Monitors from Post-Soviet Area (RFE/RL)

IV. Human Rights & Independent Media
26. Belarus: Independent Newspaper Finds New Means To Overcome State Interference (RFE/RL)
27. The Print Run of Volny Horad Got Detained (BAJ)
28. Belarusian United Opposition’s Candidate Relies on Internet, Samizdat (RFE/RL)
29. Homel Journalists` Appeal is "Taken Into Account" (BAJ)
30. Police Detain Head of Belarusian Presidential Candidate’s Campaign (RFE/RL)

V. Business
31. Government Okays Draft National Energy Saving Programme for 2006-2010 (BelTa)

DOMESTIC

1. Almost 57 Thousand Belarusians Get State Target Social Assistance in 2005
In 2005 the state rendered target social assistance to almost 57 thousand Belarusians (90.2 per cent of the total number of people who appealed for this support). Br4,5 billion has been spent on these purposes, chief specialist of the main department of state social support of the ministry of labour and social security Tatyana Fyodorova told BelTA. Last year target social assistance was rendered to 3,7 per cent of the total number of low income citizens.

Target social assistance is rendered in the form of monthly and lump sum payments. According to the specialist, the main category of recipients is the families raising underage children, one-parent families prevailing.

Tatyana Fyodorova noted that last year the monthly social benefit averaged Br26,5 thousand per recipient. This support is given to some categories of families and lonely citizens whose incomes do not reach 60 per cent of the subsistence level per capita. The amount of the monthly social benefit per recipient is the difference between the aforementioned index and actual per capita income of a person. Thus, the state “pulls up” low incomes of people to the level of minimum state guarantee.

In 2005 the average lump sum benefit paid to those who faced force-majeur situations amounted to Br52,3 thousand. This benefit ranges from 50 per cent to 500 per cent of the living wage. The decision to grant the lump sum benefit is taken in every individual case of a citizen or a family who got into difficult situation.

The mechanism of rendering state target social assistance was launched on January 1, 2001. In 2001-2005 it was rendered to 421 thousand people, Tatyana Fyodorova said. Over the period the measures were taken to polish the mechanism and to extend the range of the state support recipients. On January 1 of this year a one-stop shop principle was introduced in granting the target social assistance. This move simplified the procedure of applying for the state target social assistance.

Source: Belarusian Telegraph Agency; January 25, 2006; http://www.belta.by/engnews.nsf

2. Belarus Enlarges Financing of Chernobyl Cleanup Program
Belarus will enlarge the financing of the Chernobyl cleanup program 1.7 times in 2006-2010 as against 2001-2005, a source at the Belarusian governmental committee on the Chernobyl nuclear accident aftermath told Prime Tass on Tuesday.

“That would be the fourth five-year Chernobyl program of the government. It will focus on better health and living standards of people affected by the accident, and the reclamation of damaged lands,” the source said.

“It is planned to start gas deliveries to 8,500 houses, and that would require the construction of 463 kilometers of gas pipelines,” the source said.

Thirty percent of the funds will be spend on radiation monitoring, reclamation of polluted lands, and maintenance of radioactive waste storage facilities.

“The government will guarantee pure products made by farms and individuals on lands polluted with radionuclides,” the source said.

“A World Bank loan for the Chernobyl accident cleanup in Belarus opens a new phase of cooperation. The sides are transferring from free aid to crediting,” he said.

According to the committee, 20% of the national territory populated by 1.3 million people is polluted with radionuclides. All in all, Belarus has 9.75 million residents.

The areas polluted with cesium-137 have reduced by 11% thanks to the governmental measures. The Gomel and Mogilyov regions were polluted most.

0.138 million people have been resettled from polluted territories, and 14,600 hectares of land have been reclaimed. Another 1.1 million hectares of farmland require constant attention for producing pure foods.

Source: Itar-Tass; January 24, 2005; http://www.tass.ru/eng

3. Scaremongering and Scared People: the Election Campaign Continues in Belarus
The campaign to collect signatures for the remaining seven candidates in the Belarusian election (Alyaksandr Voytovich has dropped out of the contest) is in full swing. Each candidate needs to gather at least 100,000 signatures of support to be eligible for the March 19 vote. The Belarusian authorities, however, have adopted a dual strategy: on the one hand they are warning the electorate of a Western-backed campaign to foment a "color revolution" and overthrow President Alexander Lukashenka; and on the other they are obstructing the campaigns of rival candidates.

Evidence of the former is an article in the country`s largest daily newspaper, Sovetskaya Belorussiya, by Vladimir Gurin, a political scientist affiliated with the Institute of Social-Political Research at the Presidential Administration. Through the "orange virus," he writes, chaos was brought to countries of Western Europe (Germany, Belgium, and France are cited), and with certain modifications, Ukraine and Georgia. To bring about the transformation of states, it is necessary to seize control over public opinion and bring about what the author terms "a media-cratic dictatorship" that is more totalitarian than the worst sort of administrative-police dictatorship (Sovetskaya Belorussiya, January 18).

The author maintains that in the cases of Serbia, Ukraine, and Georgia, there occurred a combination of intervention by the leadership of the United States and "European bureaucracies" on the one hand, and specific initiatives of "sponsors" such as George Soros, interested in overthrowing the authorities for various personal reasons, on the other. In the case of Belarus, however -- and here the author cites the deputy director of the Institute of the CIS Countries, Vladimir Zharikhin -- a change of regime cannot be achieved by democratic means because the majority of the population supports Lukashenka.

The image of outside forces seeking to subvert Belarus has been a useful presidential ploy. Since the Lukashenka forces have a complete monopoly over the media (delivery of the main opposition newspaper from Smolensk is regularly held up at the border), the barrage of propaganda is quite effective. In addition, a series of measures has already been deployed to complicate rival candidates` efforts to collect signatures.

Thus Uladzimir Lavbkovich, who works for the group backing candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich, has commented that every day the militia detains about 10 members of initiative groups. Another activist for the same camp reveals that many people are afraid to sign his list because they do not wish to be in trouble with the authorities. One of the campaigners supporting the Social Democratic candidate, Alyaksandr Kazulin, was not permitted to enter hostels in Hrodna to collect signatures. Staff on duty reportedly complied with a regulation issued by the Central Election Commission (CEC) that an individual could only enter a hostel if invited to do so by a resident. The invited person must then remain in the room of the resident and not knock on other doors (Belarusy i Rynok, January 9).

The editorial office of Narodnaya Volya constantly receives telephone calls from people declaring that they are being forced to provide signatures in support of Lukashenka. At one large self-service store, employees were given two lists to sign: one to prove that they had received their salaries and another supporting Lukashenka. Those who refused to sign were warned that they might not be paid. One visitor to the editorial office checked into a local clinic, and his doctor asked him to sign a list supporting the president. The doctor told the patient that she had orders to collect signatures in this way. Students at the Belarusian Institute of Law (a non-state institution) were informed that in order to gain course credits they also must provide signatures to support Lukashenka. Voters are also confused. In theory one person can provide signatures for different candidates, but the Lukashenka team evidently has been telling signatories that they may only sign in support of a single candidate (Narodnaya Volya, January 16).

Myacheslau Hryb, who is running Kazulin`s initiative group, submitted four complaints to the CEC and to the Prosecutor`s office concerning the actions of the authorities in Vitsebsk region. Here, the authorities obtained the list of names supporting this candidate and threatened to dismiss these people from their jobs. Similarly a woman collecting signatures for Milinkevich was detained in Brest region, the lists were confiscated, and she was ordered not to continue with her campaign. The lists were returned to her several days later (Belarusy i Rynok, January 16).

Opposition candidates are also incensed by the announcement of the "Third All-Belarusian People`s Congress" for March 2-3 in Minsk, because the previous congresses have been little more than propaganda mouthpieces for the president. Kazulin has called for a Congress with delegates from all political parties, independent trade unions, and public organizations to discuss the system of power in the country (Narodnaya Volya, January 16).

The opposition candidates are well aware of the limitations on their campaigns and the government`s tactic of instilling fear. Milinkevich plans a mass meeting with Minsk voters on the same dates as the People`s Congress (Charter 97, January 20). Such contact with voters, however fraught, is invaluable as a rare opportunity to expose them to views that differ from those they hear and read daily.

Source: David Marples, The Jamestown Foundation; January 24; http://jamestown.org/

4. Signature Collecting For Presidential Hopefuls in Belarus Ending
The signature collecting campaign for Belarusian presidential candidates has entered the final stage. The presidential election will be held on March 19. “Friday is the last day of submission of signature lists by initiative groups, therefore the current week will be decisive for the contenders,” Chairwoman of the Belarusian Central Election Commission (CEC) Lidiya Yermoshina told reporters on Monday. According to her, the checking of the signatures authenticity will take some 10 days. “The registration of the presidential candidates will be held closer to February 20,” Yermoshina said.

Meanwhile, six out of seven presidential runners have said that their initiative groups have collected over 100,000 signatures necessary for nomination for the country’s presidency. Incumbent head of state Alexander Lukashenko is the absolute leader at this stage of the election campaign. Representatives of his election headquarters said last week that his initiative group has collected over 900,000 signatures.

After Lukashenko follow the “common candidate” from the opposition Alexander Milinkevich, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Sergei Gaidukevich, opposition leader Zenon Poznyak, leader of the Social Democrats Alexander Kozulin, ex-deputy of the Belarussian parliament Valery Frolov. It became known on Monday that Frolov intends to withdraw from the election campaign (his headquarters is preparing a corresponding statement).

Ex-deputy Sergei Skrebets who is now under investigation on suspicion of committing economic crimes is unlikely to collect the required number of signatures in his support.

Source: Itar-Tass; January 24, 2005; http://www.tass.ru/eng

5. Belarus May Start Building Nuclear Power Plant in 2008
Belarus may begin building a nuclear power plant in 2008, a government official said on Monday.

Construction of a nuclear power plant is planned to begin in 2008. The project`s deadline is 2012," the unidentified official was quoted by the Inter fax news agency as saying. He added the site for the facility has yet to be selected.

The official noted concerns for the project in the country after the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear facility, but he said Belarus "cannot avoid taking this step, especially as modern nuclear power plants have much more reliable safeguards."

The nuclear power plant is expected to save up to 4 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually for Belarus and reduce the country`s spending on energy by 200 to 300 million U.S. dollars a year.

Source: Xinhua News Agency; January 24, 2006; http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-01/24/content_4091009.htm

6. The Government of Belarus Adopted Electronics R&D Programme
The government of Belarus has recently adopted a new R&D programme "Electronics" for 2006-2010. Ministries of Education and of Industry, State Military Industry Committee and National Academy of Science will coordinate the programme.

Electronics framework will include projects on opto- and microelectronics, nanotechnologies micro sensors, measurement systems and other state of art technologies and products which would compete with expensive foreign products.

Researchers and engineers at the National Academy of Science, research-and-production state company Integral, Belarusian State University, State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, Minsk Institute for Radiomaterials Research, Minsk Institute for Instrument-Making Research will participate in the scheme.

Source: Mikhail Doroshevich, E-Belarus.ORG; January 20, 2006; www.e-belarus.org

7. Power Supply Cut in About 150 Settlements in Belarus
About 150 settlements in the Vitebsk, Gomel and Minsk regions were left without power supply over crashes in power lines over the past day. The frosts and snow that picked up on the wire caused the crashes.

All crashes on power lines have been eliminated by the time the news was wired, a source in the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry told Itar-Tass. “Power supply resumed. Life-supporting facilities are working in the normal regime,” the source said.

Several crashes also occurred in the heating and water supply systems in Minsk and Borisov, the Minsk region. It took a few hours to eliminate the crashes.

Source: Itar-Tass; January 20, 2005; http://www.tass.ru/eng

8. Two Belarusian Presidential Contenders Receive Official Warnings
Belarus`s Central Election Commission on 18 January issued official warnings to the nomination groups of Alyaksandr Milinkevich and Zyanon Paznyak, two candidates who seek to challenge incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the 19 March presidential ballot, Belapan and RFE/RL`s Belarus Service reported. The commission claimed that the two groups were engaging in electioneering, which is prohibited during the ongoing collection of ballot signatures. Milinkevich, the candidate of the united opposition forces, said his group will contest the warning in the Supreme Court.

"The warning is far-fetched, we object to it and will challenge it," Milinkevich said. "We are well aware that this is psychological pressure, an attempt to slow down the fast pace that we`ve reached, make us less active and sow the seeds of uncertainty into the ranks of our allies." The commission did not elaborate on the legal consequences that these warnings might entail for Milinkevich and Paznyak. "If these politicians [Milinkevich and Paznyak] keep breaching laws, they may be denied registration," ITAR-TASS quoted Central Election Commission Secretary Mikalay Lazavik as saying on 17 January.

Source: RFE/RL; January 19, 2006; http://www.rferl.org

9. Twice More Money Allocated For Mass Media From the Budget
More than 60 million USD will be allocated from the budget for mass media development in 2006. The sum has increased by 20 million USD in comparison with the last year and it will be twice more than in 2004.

According to the law "On Belarus` Budget 2006," about 60.55 million USD were allocated for mass media. 43.89 million USD will be given to radio and TV channels; printed editions will receive 11.53 million USD; 5.12 million USD will be provided to cover "the other expenses."

Cf.: about 40.7 million USD were allocated to mass media in 2005 (33.73 million USD were given to TV and radio; 5.85 million USD - to printed editions and 1.1 million USD were allocated for other expenses). In 2004 29.7 million USD were allocated to mass media (23.9 - to TV and radio; 5.2 - to printed editions and 0.7 - for other expenses).

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists; January 19, 2006; http://www.baj.ru/

REGIONAL

10. Lukashenko: Transit Tariffs Inside EurAsEC Must Be Imposed at the Level of Presidents
President of Byelorussia Aleksandr Lukashenko thinks that one of the primary aspects of the countries’ cooperation in the framework of Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) must be realization of the Community’s transit potential, as he stated on January 25 during the session of EurAsEC State Council, informs a REGNUM correspondent.

According to the Byelorussian leader, currently lots of artificial barriers are posed on the ways of goods from one country to another, so all of the countries will earn maximum profit if the tariffs will be favorable to all carriers. As Lukashenko thinks, the tariffs must be discussed and approved by the presidents.

Today, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, Byelorussia Alexander Lukashenko, Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmonov and Uzbekistan Islam Karimov participate in an extraordinary session of EurAsEC summit talks in Saint Petersburg.

Source: REGNUM News Agency; January 25, 2006; http://www.regnum.ru/english/belarus/578764.html

11. Putin Introduced New Ambassador to Lukashenka
Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced new Ambassador of Russia to Belarus Aleksandr Surikov to Aliaxandar Lukashenka, an “Interfax” correspondent informs. As it was reported earlier, the candidature of former Governor of the Altai Territory Surikov is now being discussed in the Russian Parliament.

Previously, in July 2005, former governor of Saratov Region Dmitriy Ayatskov was assigned to this position. Nevertheless, he did not take up his duties because of imprudent criticism towards Lukashenka and his policy expressed at a press conference.

The statements by the assigned Ambassador were considered “contradicting the friendly relations” between Russia and Belarus.

Source: Charter97; January 25, 2006; http://www.charter97.org/eng/

12. Russia-Belarus Unified External Border Program Extended Until 2007
The Russia-Belarus Union State`s unified external border program has been extended until 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday after a session of the Union State`s Supreme Council.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the border would soon be called locked. "Soon we will be able to report to our nations that the border is 100% locked, as it was in Soviet times," Lukashenko told a news conference.

The Belarusian leader said he and Putin had noted huge work done to develop the border.

Source: RIA Novosti, January 24, 2006; http://rian.ru

13. Russian, Belarus Presidents Meet in St. Petersburg
Vladimir Putin is holding talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, the Kremlin administration said Tuesday.

The presidential meeting in St. Petersburg will be followed by a session of the Supreme State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union State.

The session will focus on the development of bilateral integration cooperation.

The idea of the state initially emerged in 1997 to foster political and economic integration, in particular by standardizing taxes and tariffs, but has largely remained on paper. Belarus was to have adopted the Russian ruble as a single currency for the state in 2005, but the move has been postponed.

Source: RIA Novosti, January 24, 2006; http://rian.ru

14. Belarus, Russia Border Services To Discuss Cooperation
The development of cooperation between the border services of Belarus and Russian will be considered at a meeting of the Russia-Belarus Union State Border Committee board in Grodno on Monday. Chairman of the state committee of the Belarusian Border Troops Lieu.-Gen. Alexander Pavlovsky and Gen. Vladimir Pronichev, the FSB first deputy director and the head of the Russian Border Service will chair the meeting.

In particular, the improvement of the scientific support system for the operational activity of the border services of the countries and the drafting of a programme for the Union State external border development for 2007-2011 are put on the agenda of the meeting, the press center of the Belarusian Border Service told Itar-Tass.

The sides will also consider the possibility of arranging separate corridors for Belarusian and Russian citizens at aviation checkpoints across the Union State border.

Source: Itar-Tass; January 23, 2005; http://www.tass.ru/eng

15. Russia, Belarus Approve Joint 2006 Budget
The parliamentary assembly of the Union of Russia and Belarus have approved the budget of the Union State for 2006.

The assembly finished its session on Friday. The budget was set at 3.1 billion Russian rubles, ITAR-TASS news agency reported. Russia will deposit 1.76 billion rubles, Belarus 948 million rubles. The rest will come through Belarus’ debt redemption for the budgets of 2000-2003.

82 percent of the budget is allocated for 40 joint programs and projects. The two states have established a reserve fund of 3 million rubles that will be used if the union state’s Cabinet deems it is necessary.

Source: MosNews.Com, January 20, 2006; www.mosnews.com

16. Duma Speaker Say Referendums On Russia-Belarus Union Constitution Near
The speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, says he believes Russia and Belarus could organize parallel referendums on a union state constitution later this year.
Addressing reporters in Moscow today, Boris Gryzlov said work on a union state constitution was going on as scheduled.

Also today, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement the constitution issue would top the agenda of the upcoming session of the Higher State Council of the Russia-Belarus Union State, which will take place in S t. Petersburg on 24 January.

Russia and Belarus in 1996 created a union state, which exists mostly on paper. There are at least nine draft versions of the union state constitution. // (RIA Novosti, Belarusian ForMin website, RFE/RL

Source: RFE/RL; January 19, 2006; http://www.rferl.org

17. Lukoil Plans To Invest $500-600 Million in Belarus
The Russian oil company Lukoil is planning to invest $500-600 million in the Belarusian economy, counting on economic and political stability in that country, said Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov.

"Our company has invested about $100 million in the Belarusian economy, and we are prepared to launch new projects estimated at $500-600 million," Alekperov told journalists in Minsk on Wednesday.

Before entering any market, "we calculate all risks, including economic, financial, and political ones," Alekperov said. "We have calculated these risks in relation to Belarus as well," he said.
"Such political stability does exist in Belarus for the investor`s work, for free movement of profits, and for reaching the profitability level," Alekperov said.

Source: Interfax; January 19, 2006; http://www.interfax.ru/e

INTERNATIONAL

18. Lukashenka Is One of Planet’s Worst Dictators
A popular American magazine “Parade” has published an annual list of the worst dictators of the world. The following list has been prepared after consultation with Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders – human-rights groups that have not hesitated to expose the policies of dictatorships on both the left and the right. Alyaksandr Lukashenka (Aleksandr Lukashenko) is mentioned in the second ten of bloody tyrants.

“Europe’s last dictator, Aleksandr Lukashenko was elected Belarus’ first president after the break-up of the Soviet Union. Since then he has rewritten the constitution to allow him to appoint all 110 members of the upper house of the legislature, and he has harassed his opponents, sometimes having them arrested on live television,” the information about Lukashenka is.

Excerpt from
Source: ZUBR; January 25, 2005; http://www.zubr-belarus.com/

19. Milinkievich: Belarusians Have To Fight For Independence
Belarusians must fight for their independence, honour and homeland, presidential candidate of the Belarusian opposition Aleksandr Milinkevich told the Polish Sejm on Wednesday.

Presidential elections in Belarus will be held on March 19.

We have the example of a consistent struggle, Milinkevich said referring to Poland and stressed that Belarusians will never give up their dreams and ideas of an independent state.

Milinkevich assured the Sejm that when Belarus becomes a democratic and free country the Polish minority in that country will be supported by democratic authorities. According to Milinkevich, the Polish national minority in Belarus and the Belarusian one in Poland can be "a bridge linking the two countries."

According to the presidential candidate, the opposition can force the authorities to hold democratic elections. "We do not want a revolution. We want presidential elections to be clear and compatible with the constitution, Milinkevich said.

Milinkevich stressed the democratic opposition in Belarus needed access to information and solidarity with persecuted people.

The recent ten years in the history of Belarus are marked by the return to the Stalinist-time repressions, Milinkevich said.

He also stressed that there was not even one university in Belarus where the language of instruction was Belarusian. The number of high school classes with Belarusian as the language of instruction has been going down, Milinkevich said.

Earlier Milinkevich met with Sejm Speaker Marek Jurek.

Source: Polskiej Agencji Prasowej; January 25, 2006; http://euro.pap.net.pl/cgi-bin/europap.pl?grupa=46&dzien=0&ID=75962

20. Belarus: Opposition Wants More Focused Support From The EU
Although resigned to losing the presidential elections on 19 March, the Belarusian opposition is seeking more focused EU help. Two Belarusian opposition representatives told a meeting at the European Parliament in Brussels today that the EU should make aid funds directly available to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka`s challengers. They also warned that after Lukashenka`s highly likely win, the EU must beware conferring any legitimacy on him.

The EU is a welcome source of support for the Belarusian opposition, but one that is too often sluggish, unwieldy, and ill-informed.

This was the gist of the addresses of two Belarusian opposition figures during a small meeting at the European Parliament today.

Jaroslav Romanchuk, a vice-chairman of the United Civic Party and a member of the opposition Coalition Five-Plus (5+), said the opposition expects from the EU clear messages of support and a quick injection of funds.

The messages will be delivered to a high-level Belarusian opposition delegation that will visit Brussels on 30 January.

Romanchuk said the money is needed to allow the opposition to make the best of the less than two months of campaigning left: "We distribute leaflets, information materials, papers, special issues. We do our best but definitely we lack resources and support right now in order to print materials, to distribute materials -- and this is, essentially, the fundamental issue of the European support at this particular moment."

Romanchuk said the opposition wants to tell "millions" of Belarusians about alternatives to Lukashenka`s regime. Its joint candidate, Alyaksandr Milinkevich, however, is prevented from campaigning until his candidacy is formally approved.

Romanchuk said that after Lukashenka last week asked the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to send observers, the EU must be careful not to legitimize Lukashenka. He indicated the Belarusian opposition believes the elections will be fixed and Lukashenka will subsequently win a landslide victory.

Hence, Romanchuk said, the EU must look beyond the routine monitoring of the polls. "I would recommend and I would ask you [that is, the EU countries] to send as many people -- even without observer status because that`s not about the observation per se but the support of the people who would act after the day of the elections," Romanchuk said. "Primarily, people should come one, two days before the elections and then will stay for another two days because I think the main event would be on 20 March. Then will be like the clash of forces, and that will be kind of the reality of this political campaign."

Calls For Quick EU Response

He said that to know the world remains informed would "boost the morale" of the people preparing to protest against the results.

Romanchuk and Leonid Zaiko, an independent economist who attended the meeting, warned that the EU must be prepared to respond to developments quickly after the elections.

Both said Lukashenka appears to be preparing ground for a possible falling out with Russia. Zaiko said Lukashenka`s unwillingness to hand over Belarusian gas infrastructure to Russia may provoke reprisals.

Romanchuk said Lukashenka could then try to portray himself as the champion of Belarusian independence and appeal for Western support. He said the EU would then face tough choices.

Zaiko said the Belarusian economy is increasingly turning away from Russia toward the EU. "It`s an unusual situation. Because you could imagine that for the real political [choice] of Lukashenka, Russia is the strategic partner for the policy of the Belarusian leader," Zaiko said. "[He] is oriented to strengthening the contacts with Russia, but in [reality] the economic objectives show that [this] is the time of the increasing of economic contacts with the European Union, and decreasing [of those] with Russia."

But Zaiko said that Belarus remains extremely dependent on Russian oil, gas, and other raw materials.

Both Romanchuk and Zaiko warned that Belarusian civil society will face a crisis after Lukashenka`s expected victory, with increasing numbers of young and entrepreneurial people leaving the country.

Romanchuk said that in such a situation, the EU must give up its current policy of seeking contact with individuals in the civil society and avoiding direct contact with the opposition. This, he said, is a "bad trade-off," allowing Minsk to selectively ban organizations it considers dangerous.

He said the EU must also find ways of directly funding opposition groups and Western organizations working with them. So far, all EU aid money needs to be approved by the government in Minsk.

Romanchuk said the EU`s recent support for outside media broadcasts is "important," but has very little impact. He said Deutsche Welle, which began EU-funded broadcasts last autumn in Russian, reaches a very limited audience.

"As for Deutsche Welle, the controversy is not in the language, of course, of broadcasting, when we design programs for Belarus, we should really know what`s going on there, what people know, how they get information," Romanchuk said. "I think that even in the expert community, [the proportion of] people who know [how] Deutsche Welle can be heard is like 1 percent. So, [for] the general public if you want to send a message to Belarusians about the situation in the European Union, the situation in their own country, Deutsche Welle probably is the least feasible and the least useful means."

Romanchuk said that to promote Deutsche Welle would take a lot of time and money. Instead, he said, the EU should seek to coordinate its media programs with Radio Liberty, which he said remains by far the most popular independent radio station in Belarus.

Source: Ahto Lobjakas, RFE/RL; January 19, 2006; http://www.rferl.org

21. Belarus To Bring Rules of Filling Out Transit Papers In Line With European Standards
The state customs committee of Belarus intends to bring the rules of filling out transit papers in line with the European norms, Deputy Chief of the State Customs Committee Vladimir Goshin has told reporters.

According to him, “Belarusian specialists started working with European customs administrations to unify these rules for the goods entering the Union State from Europe or from Belarus and Russia to the west”.

Vladimir Goshin has informed that the State Customs Committee is carrying out a comparative analysis of European, Belarusian and Russian legislations. Then the specialists will compare the software used by the customs bodies of different countries. “We expect that the documents will be filled out according to the single rules all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans”, he stressed. This move will reduce the time a forwarder spends on the border, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee is convinced.

He also informed that the Committee “has accomplished serious work to coordinate the agreement on transit with Russia”. A corresponding resolution has been drafted “to dot all “i`s” in the issues of customs control over the movement of goods”, Vladimir Goshin has added.

Source: The National Centre of Legal Information of the Republic of Belarus; January 23, 2006; http://law.by/work/Eng/

22. Belarus Hopes for OSCE Objectivity During Elections
The Belarusian Central Elections Commission hopes that Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observers will work as independent legal experts and will not influence the Belarusian presidential elections due to be held in March.

"Russia and Belarus are the subject of a lot of remarks as far as mandate of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) observers is concerned. They should act as independent experts rather than active political participants in the electoral process," Belarusian Central Elections Commission Chairman Nikolai Lozovik told Interfax on Monday.

OSCE observers "should be legal experts and should not impose their own political demands," he said.

Source: Interfax; January 23, 2006; http://www.interfax.ru/e

23. U.S. Welcomes Belarus Invitation for Election Observers in March
American diplomat urges Belarus to stop harassing Helsinki rights group

The United States has welcomed a decision by Belarus to invite international observers to monitor elections in March, but a U.S. official also urged Belarus to stop harassing human-rights workers in the country.

Belarus Foreign Minister Sergei Martinov formally has invited the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to observe elections March 19, the OSCE said. The international organization monitors democracy and human rights throughout Europe and Eurasia.

“This is a very welcome step,” said Kyle Scott, chargé d’affaires for the U.S. Mission to the OSCE, in a January 19 statement to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria.

However, Scott went on to express concern over the Belarus government’s repeated prosecution of the Belarus Helsinki Committee (BHC), a nongovernmental organization that reports on human-rights violations and monitors elections.

He noted that the Belarus Supreme Economic Court recently reinstated “harsh and unwarranted penalties” against the BHC – including $75,000 in fines and back taxes -- on charges of tax evasion. “BHC has already successfully defended itself in court from these charges a number of times, including in the Supreme Economic Court,” Scott said.

“The decision appears to be an attempt to silence one of the most outspoken advocates for human rights and freedom of speech and assembly in Belarus,” he said, adding that the United States believes the prosecution of the BHC is “politically motivated.”

In the time leading up to the country’s elections, “it is critical that independent organizations such as the BHC are allowed to operate without undue restrictions,” Scott said.

Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, who is also the chairman in office for the OSCE, also welcomed the Belarus invitation for election observers.

“I expect that the authorities of Belarus will ensure that all eligible candidates be permitted to register and that the election process be conducted in a free and fair manner, including unimpeded access to the media by all candidates,” De Gucht said in a brief OSCE statement January 19.

Following is the full text of Scott’s remarks:

United States Mission to the OSCE

[Vienna, Austria]

Statement on Belarus

As delivered by Chargé d’Affaires Kyle Scott to the Permanent Council, Vienna January 19, 2006
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Let me begin by thanking the Representative of Belarus for his very welcome announcement of the decision of the Government of Belarus to issue an invitation to the OSCE to observe the March 19 Presidential elections. This is a very welcome step and fully aligned with the commitments we have all undertaken to invite foreign observation as confirmed in the Copenhagen Document and subsequently reconfirmed in the Istanbul Charter for European Security.

I’d also like to say that my delegation can broadly associate ourselves with the remarks we just heard from the European Union as regards the overall situation in Belarus. I would like, in my intervention, to focus on one issue of particular concern.

Throughout the history of our organization, the courageous role played by Helsinki Committees within the OSCE region in disseminating information about the rights of citizens and the international obligations their countries have undertaken has played a critical role in the advance of freedom and democracy. Because of their efforts, members of the Helsinki Committees were frequently subject to arrest or other repressive measures aimed at stifling their voices. With the end of the Cold War, we had hoped that this era had come to an end.

We regret we must bring to the attention of the Permanent Council the recent decision of the Belarus Supreme Economic Court to reinstate harsh and unwarranted penalties against the Belarus Helsinki Committee (BHC) on charges of tax evasion. This decision appears to be an attempt to silence one of the most outspoken advocates for human rights and freedom of speech and assembly in Belarus, and casts doubt upon Belarus` sincerity vis-a-vis its human rights obligations, its commitments to the OSCE and other international organizations.

The Court`s judgment mandates payment of approximately $75,000 in back taxes and fines and could result in criminal prosecution of BHC officials. The United States believes Belarus` prosecution of BHC is politically motivated. BHC has already successfully defended itself in court from these charges a number of times, including in the Supreme Economic Court. The Belarusian Government`s repeated pursuit of the same charges to secure this judgment against BHC calls into question the independence of the courts and the existence of rule of law in Belarus.

At this time, the U.S. would like to reaffirm its support for the BHC and the role it currently plays in Belarusian society and urges the Supreme Economic Court to reconsider its decision and to avoid harassing an independent non-governmental organization.

Particularly in the run-up to an election, it is critical that independent organizations such as the BHC are allowed to operate without undue restrictions.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Source: The Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State; January 20, 2006; http://usinfo.state.gov)

24. A European Dictatorship
U.S. and European security experts have become increasingly alarmed by the actions of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko -- in particular, his growing diplomatic, economic and military ties to global antagonists China, Iran and Russia. With the support of this new "axis of evil," Mr. Lukashenko -- Europe`s last remaining dictator -- has initiated a Cold War campaign against the West and the United States

Over the past year, Mr. Lukashenko has made a determined effort to strengthen his contacts with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an avowed anti-Semite and self-proclaimed enemy of the West. Since 1993, Iran has been a key recipient of Belarusian military and technology exports, receiving Soviet-made T-72 tanks and artillery, II-76 transport planes and conventional weapons from Minsk.

Mr. Lukashenko personally ordered Soviet-trained Belarusian chemists, scientists and technicians to work closely with Iran`s mullahs on the deadly Shahab missile system -- designed to strike Europe and Israel -- as well as on the country`s uranium enrichment and chemical warfare programs.

Military cooperation with Iran will be carried out without danger to the world or security in the region," Mr. Lukashenko has said.

European Union leaders, troubled by recently released intelligence assessments that indicate Iran is scouring Europe seeking nuclear bomb equipment and technology, are feverishly working to mitigate concerns associated with the emerging Belarus-Iran relationship.

At its November meeting in Brussels, diplomats of the EU Foreign Minister`s Committee listed Belarus and Iran as its two key external relations items, noting that economic sanctions may ultimately be necessary to convince Belarus to adopt democratization and to force Iran to give up its nuclear fuel processing efforts.

Bilateral relations between Belarus and China have also grown substantially over the past several years. Visiting Beijing in December, Mr. Lukashenko signed a declaration outlining further economic and political cooperation between Beijing and Minsk. "This document is about a strategic partnership that from now on will govern cooperation between the two countries," the president noted.

As part of the agreement, China agreed to provide Minsk with non-reimbursable assistance and other unspecified loans. Most observers view the economic-aid package as a gift from Beijing designed to secure future cooperation from the Lukashenko government.

In early 2005, both countries signed a joint "Declaration for the 21st Century" document, agreeing to cooperate in the fields of economy, trade, science and military affairs. In addition, Wu Guansheng, a member of the Communist Party of China, and Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan both visited Minsk last May. Not long after their visit, Belarusian Defense Minister Leonid Maltsev arrived in Beijing, where he signed documents allowing Chinese military personnel to train in Belarus.

But Moscow continues to have the greatest influence on the Lukashenko government. "We shall never betray Russia," the Belarus president stated this month. For decades, Russia has provided its western neighbor with preferential economic, energy and security assistance. Russia remains the largest trading partner for Belarus and still provides the small, resource-depleted country with virtually all of its energy supplies.

During 2005 alone, several important political and security agreements were reached that strengthened the bilateral alliance. In April, both countries announced that their anti-aircraft defenses on the western border of Belarus would be strengthened with the delivery of several S-300 missile systems and the assignment of several hundred Russian troops to Belarus.

Further evidence of just how close the two countries have become was provided when Mr. Lukashenko visited Moscow in July to promote a reunification plan with Russia, "[Reunification] is much more of a reality than people think," noted Ivan Makoshok, a spokesman for the Russia-Belarus Union.

Reunification talks had collapsed in 2002, when Mr. Lukashenko demanded equal status with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a combined union. But the recent talks have addressed the introduction of the Russian ruble as the local currency for Belarus and the management of joint property as a result of a proposed unified state.

Indeed, Mr. Lukashenko and Mr. Putin seem to be advancing similar domestic agendas, with both reintroducing Soviet-era symbols, promoting religious persecution, adding tough new penalties against opponents and increasing state control over the country`s economy. "This is a return to Stalinism," Belarusian opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich said in November.

To deter further instability as a result of Mr. Lukashenko`s domestic and foreign policies, the United States and its Western allies must begin a concerted push for democracy in Belarus by supporting the country`s budding "Denim" pro-democracy movement. Started in September when opposition activist Milita Sasim fashioned a flag from his denim shirt during a protest against the Lukashenko government, the movement gives hope to the countless Belarusian citizens looking for a change in the current regime.

Poland, a strong U.S. ally, should be approached to help pressure the authoritarian government in Minsk. The EU and United Nations should also use their combined influence to deter the erosion of human rights and political freedoms that has become synonymous with the Lukashenko regime.

Unified action is necessary to remove the growing cancer that is Mr. Lukashenko from Europe`s belly; otherwise, the disease will spread.

Source: Frederick W., Stakelbeck Jr., The Washington Times; January 20, 2006; http://washingtontimes.com

25. Minsk Invites Election Monitors from Post-Soviet Area
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has invited organizations from the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the Eurasian Economic Community to monitor the 19 March presidential vote in Belarus, Belapan reported on 18 January, quoting the ministry`s press service.

Minsk has not yet invited the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe`s (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to observe the poll. Last week, the Belarusian authorities were urged to do this by Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, OSCE chairman in office

Source: RFE/RL; January 19, 2006; http://www.rferl.org

HUMAN RIGHTS & INDEPENDENT MEDIA

26. Belarus: Independent Newspaper Finds New Means To Overcome State Interference
With the Belarusian authorities increasing pressure on independent media in recent months, some newspapers are being published and printed abroad. One of those, the independent daily "Narodnaya volya," is being published in the Russian city of Smolensk and then transported to Minsk. The authorities have made life difficult for the paper -- a recent print run was kept for days at the border -- but a network of activists is trying to turn the government interference to its advantage.

Publishing an independent newspaper isn`t easy these days in Belarus.

Anatoly Lebedko, the head of the opposition Belarusian United Civic Party, on 12 January helped journalists from Narodnaya Volya get back thousands of copies of the newspaper, which were detained by police at the Russian-Belarusian border.

"I have a feeling of solidarity and understand how important the press is for us," Lebedko says. "Together with the editor in chief of Narodnaya Volya I went to a little Belarusian town at the border with Russia and we negotiated with police officials for eight hours in order to rescue 30,000 issues of Narodnaya Volya.’

Lebedko says the police officers demanded an array of documents, asked hundreds of questions, and called Minsk for instructions every half an hour. The demands, he says, were ridiculous and annoying -- ironic, he says, as formally the border between Belarus and Russia is open and no documents for goods are needed.

Media Clampdowns

Such state interference is nothing new. For years, domestic and foreign rights activists have accused the authorities of attempting to gag independent media in Belarus.

In September 2005, the state-run monopoly that runs a nationwide network of kiosks and newsstands stopped distributing Narodnaya Volya after a court froze the newspaper`s assets, demanding payment for damages in a pending libel case.

And then in November 2005, Belarus`s state postal service excluded three periodicals from its 2006 subscription catalogue. One of those publications was Narodnaya Volya .

Narodnaya Volya has been published in Smolensk since October. Belaruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, considered by many to be the most influential independent daily in the country, is also published in Smolensk.

New Networks

Now, Lebedko says, independent newspapers have to rely on others if they want their publications to be read: "Activists from political parties and active citizens are doing this job. When the newspaper gets to Minsk it is distributed to the regions, where there are people who subscribe to Narodnaya Volya or buy it directly from the newspaper office. [The activists] bring the paper to the places where people live."

Around 30,000 copies of the newspaper were held on the border (RFE/RL) And Lebedko says there is another way to distribute the newspaper -- selling it directly to people on the street. This tactic works, he says, and is a good opportunity for activists to speak with people during the campaign for the 19 March presidential election. Lebedko says he himself distributes the newspaper on the street and enjoys it.

Svetlana Kalinkina, the editor in chief of Narodnaya Volya, says life is more difficult for the newspaper now. But she agrees with Lebedko that pressure from the authorities has in some ways benefited the paper.

"I can say with certainty that the newspaper has found new readers. Such people who earlier knew nothing or even were not interested [in reading the newspaper,]" Kalinkina says. The newspaper is now being read by different groups of people. Now we have seen that not only the [Belarusian] national-orientated part of society reads it, but that the readership has become much broader."

Election Campaign

The independent media plays an important role in Belarus`s upcoming presidential election, which incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is widely expected to win. There is little or no mention of the election in Belarus`s state-run media.

The united opposition candidate, Alyaksandr Milinkevich, tells RFE/RL that every independent newspaper "is precious" and their survival is crucial.

"There is a huge hunger for information. Even if a newspaper reaches readers a week after it is published, under the current conditions people read it regardless," Milinkevich says. "We, with the help of our initiative group, are helping to create an alternative distribution network Narodnaya Volya and also for other newspapers."

So could this be the rebirth of samizdat in Belarus? Lebedko seems to think so. "Currently, there is more and more underground media [in the country.] It includes leaflets, and everything that is published illegally," he says. "I think the authorities have begun to understand that, if they continue fighting with Narodnaya Volya considering it to be the main opponent, something else will be born. And to fight with that will be even more difficult."

But for now, perhaps there won`t even be the need for samizdat. Editor Kalinkina says that since the incident earlier this month, there have been no more problems at the border. The biggest problem, she says, is the atmosphere of uncertainty it creates with the paper`s journalists not knowing if their stories will even be read.

Source: Valentinas Mite, RFE/RL; January 25, 2006; http://www.rferl.org

27. The Print Run of Volny Horad Got Detained
The print run of Krychau unregistered newspaper of Volny Horad, detained at the Belarusian-Russian border on January 13, has not be returned to the distributors yet. The edition`s editor-in-chief Syarhey Nyarouny informed BAJ about it. Nevertheless, the readers received their newspaper in time because all the issues were printed again.

On January 13 the print run was detained by customs officers at Zvyanchatka crossing. The editor-in-chief was delivering the print run from Smolensk in his own minibus. At the border the minibus was stopped and searched. All the issues of of Volny Horad were counted. There were about a thousand issues. But there were only 299 issues mentioned in the date-line (unregistered editions cannot print more issues without breaking the existing law). A report was drawn up and the whole print run of of Volny Horad was confiscated.

According to Nyarouny, several hours later customs officers asked the police to do away with the report and drew up their own protocol under the direction of the head of the custom-house Mr. Bondarau.

Syarhey Nyarouny claimed that customs officers received an order to be especially attentive, so that no "undermining" information could be brought to Belarus.

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists; January 24, 2006; http://www.baj.ru/

28. Belarusian United Opposition’s Candidate Relies on Internet, Samizdat
Alyaksandr Milinkevich, the united opposition forces` contender in the 19 March presidential election, said on 23 January that he relies on unofficially printed and distributed periodicals and the Internet in his effort to break through the government-imposed information blockade in the presidential race.

Milinkevich was taking part in an online news conference hosted by the RFE/RL Belarus Service`s website (http://www.svaboda.org). "There is no equal access to the media now and there will be no equal access during the campaign stage," Milinkevich said. "We bank on the remaining independent newspapers, samizdat, the Internet, and initiatives of active and indifferent people." Milinkevich also said he does not support the alternative-vote idea proposed by Zyanon Paznyak (see above), explaining that such a "popular vote" would only dishearten opponents of President Lukashenka.

Source: RFE/RL; January 24, 2006; http://www.rferl.org

29. Homel Journalists` Appeal is "Taken Into Account"
Homel Region Executive Committee "has taken into account" the claim of the members of Homel affiliate of BAJ dated January 12, 2006. The claim concerned the fact that Paskannaja`s accreditation certificate had been taken away. That was Anatol Katsila`s (the head of the Ideology Department) response. On January 21 he claimed that he did not have to give any explanations.

The official document sent to BelaPAN from Piotr Kirychenka, head of Homel Region Executive Committee, says that the decision was taken because of "violation of terms of accreditation".

Paskannaja thinks that this was done in connection with the fact that she had published some information based on State Control Committee`s press-release informing about the results of harvesting in the region. After that Paskannaja was no longer informed about events held by the Region Executive Committee, and then she was not allowed to attend the meeting of Vice Prime Ministers of Belarus and Ukraine, and was told that she had been "partially" deprived of accreditation. The Region Executive Committee`s press secretary Jauhen Pabalavets claimed that she would be called to some events, but not to all of them and explained that only the Region Executive Committee decided who would be given accreditation.

Alena Paskannaja thinks that the Region Executive Committee uses accreditation as a means of limiting the access of journalists from independent editions to official information.

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists; January 24, 2006; http://www.baj.ru/

30. Police Detain Head of Belarusian Presidential Candidate’s Campaign
Police in Minsk on 23 January briefly detained Syarhey Papkou, manager of presidential candidate Zyanon Paznyak`s nomination group, Belapan reported. Later the same day, police officers approached Papkou again, suggesting that he follow them to a taxi stop, but he refused. "I don`t know what`s going on -- either the police are trying to intimidate me, or they are just confused, afraid that their bosses will blame them for nonaction," he commented.

Papkou also said that on 22 January police briefly detained six people collecting ballot-access signatures for Paznyak for alleged illegal distribution of leaflets. Paznyak, who left Belarus in 1996 and granted asylum in the United States, told Moskovskie Novosti on 20 January that he will return to Belarus if he is registered as a candidate for the 19 March vote.

Paznyak`s organization, the Conservative Christian Party, is campaigning for a "popular vote" by calling on opponents of the incumbent president to cast fake ballots on election day and take away the originals, which will be counted later by an independent commission. The goal of the "popular vote" is to find out how many people actually voted against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in order to substantiate possible claims of vote rigging.

Source: RFE/RL; January 24, 2006; http://www.rferl.org

BUSINESS

31. Government Okays Draft National Energy Saving Programme for 2006-2010
The Belarusian government has approved a draft National Energy Saving Programme for 2006-2010. The programme`s main aim is to decrease power consumption of the gross domestic product and to replace imported fuel and energy with local ones.

The programme was discussed at a sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers board on January 24, which was chaired by first vice premier of Belarus Vladimir Semashko.

The first vice premier noted, over ten years Belarus has doubled the GDP while the power consumption remained at the same level. However, the power input figures are somewhat lower than those in industrially advanced countries. "We have a huge reserve to increase the energy effectiveness status", he said.

"Today concrete examples suggest that we should look for unconventional solutions of the problem", said Vladimir Semashko. Besides, introduction of new technologies will contributing to improving the energy effectiveness status.

According to the first vice premier, the National Energy Saving Programme for 2006-2010 is well-shaped and understandable. Its draft was submitted for consideration to enterprises. The source stressed, targets set by the programme should be considered as minimal ones. "It is understandable that reaching the goals will be harder every year. But with the present economic situation it is not time for everyone to be happy", he noted.

The document envisages that by 2010 the programme would allow reducing GDP power intensity by 26-30.4 per cent against 2005 indices. Local fuels, waste energy, non-traditional and renewable resources would increase by 1.7 million tons of fuel equivalent. The introduction of modern power-efficient technologies and equipment will save at least 7.7 million tons of fuel-energy resources. Atmospheric emissions should go down by 12 million tonnes.

The document is set to increase the efficiency of generative resources using traditional fuels. Special attention would be paid to the development of non-traditional and renewable energy resources. The programme major events include the growth of energy efficiency in the industry, construction, agriculture and budgetary sphere. Energy producers and consumers will form an economic interest in the rational use of energy. The country will create new energy efficient and import-distributing technologies, equipment and materials. Besides, the programme is to reduce expenses in the energy transportation and decrease power inputs in the housing and municipal service.

The draft programme determines the amounts of fuel-energy resources with their distribution among the republican state governmental bodies, state-run organizations and regions of Belarus. It also outlines funding resources on energy saving and a list of large energy efficient projects.

The programme envisages USD 4675 million of funding.

Source: Belarusian Telegraph Agency; January 24, 2006; http://www.belta.by/engnews.nsf

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The Belarus Update is a weekly news bulletin of the International League for Human Rights (www.ilhr.org). The League, now in its 63rd year, is a New York-based human rights NGO in consultative status with the United Nations and the International Labor Organization. To send letters to the Editor or to subscribe/unsubscribe please contact Maria Kabalina at cis@ilhr.org or Olga Tarasov at otarasov@ilhr.org

The Belarus project was established to support Belarusian citizens in making their case for the protection of civil society before the international community regarding Lukashenko`s wholesale assault on human rights and the rule of law in Belarus.
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