CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
December 5, 2001
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml
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PRESIDENTIAL LIBERALIZATION TO GET HARD ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP SAYS POTUPA
The idea to introduce the system of cashless payments for the commodity, worth
over $200, grew into real draft projects of presidential decrees, BelaPAN was
told by the president of the Belarusian entrepreneurial union Alexander Potupa:
God forbid that one of such decrees gets signed by the New Year as kind of a
holiday gift. It would have an extremely negative and explosive consequences.
According to Potupa, the large governmental crew again failed to evaluate elementary
figures. He recalled that launching into operation a cashless system is solely
possible when accompanied by a wide use of bank cards. At the moment, said Potupa,
there are approximately 150 thousand such cards in circulation in Belarus, most
of which  approximately 90 thousand  are international and are thus inconvenient
for use domestically, as far as many stores dont accept them. There also exist
some 35 thousand BelCard cards and around 20 thousand internal bank cards.
Speaking about the negative impact of the possible introduction of the cashless
payments system, Alexander Potupa mentioned the possible problems in relations
between Belarus and foreign organizations, which will undoubtedly demand cancellation
of the officially confirmed discrepancy between cash and cashless transactions.
The government once again gets itself into international troubles,  stated
the BEU leader.
The new endeavor may likewise damage the real estate and car, furniture, technical
appliances and clothing markets. It will also be a heavy blow against the small
retail market, where the size of transactions is little under $200. However,
says Potupa, this market is a foundation for most of the countrys private business
initiatives.
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TUTEISHIYA ALWAYS CANCELLED DURING POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS SAYS PINIGIN
Two weeks ago the National Theatre of Belarus took off its repertoire the popular
Belarusian national play by Yanka Kupala Tuteishiya. The incident happened
hours before the performance, so neither the actors, nor the audience had been
notified in good time. When asked whether the cancellation came as a surprise
to him, the scenarist Nikolai Pinigin, awarded a state prize for the play in
1993, told Radio Svaboda the following: Every time when I come to Minsk I ask
the actors, engaged in Tuteishiya why the play is not on? And usually they
would tell me that it is an election period or something. During any other political
campaigns they wouldnt dare show it too. Following the September 2001 political
action Tuteishiya were expected to be back on stage again, but this was never
the case. But it wasnt anything unexpected to me anyway.
The official reason for the plays cancellation was the poor condition of the
decors. The fact that the decorations were obsolete and that they needed urgent
replacement is lies. On Monday, November 12 we held a rehearsal and everything
went on without a hitch. And then on Wednesday, one day later, they claim that
the scenery is all of a sudden outdated Its just not true!  said Pinigin
categorically.
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CHAIN OF THOSE WHO CARE IN BERLIN
Berlin became eighth European capital where on December 10  anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Right  the activists will picket the Belarusian
embassy. The youth, which studies in Berlin, and activists of some German public
organizations have as their goal to draw the attention of the international community
to the problem of political repressions in Belarus.
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NEW DIRECTOR AT ATLANT
The meeting of Atlant shareholders resulted in the dismissal of the companys
director general Leonid Kalugin. The shareholders elected to this post former
chief engineer Viktor Shumilov. As you know, Kalugin was detained by the law-enforcers
and placed under lock  hes charged with the abuse of power, large-scale embezzlement
and illicit entrepreneurial activities.
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FEARING REPRESSION DIRECTORS LEAVE JOBS
The monitoring council satisfied resignation plea, submitted by the director
of the Brest state stockinet factory Elma Zinaida Polyak. Her place will be
taken over by a 31-year old Alexander Khrimenya, recommended to this post by
the board of the Bellegprom concerns leadership. Zinaida Polyak worked as
director of the company for 12 years. In total she dedicated 36 years of her
life to Elma. She filed in resignation out of her own will. This decision,
says Polyak, became a result of the so-called struggle with shadow business.
Best seamstresses are leaving this state company  they go to the better paid
jobs in private firms. Zinaida Polyak had numerously raised the issue of the
necessity to deal with the half-legal sewing companies at the highest level,
but to no avail.
At present, Elmas financial condition is far from the worst in the whole of
Bellegprom. However, there are almost no skilled seamstresses left at its facilities.
Moreover, Elmas production is slightly more expensive than the one, manufactured
by underground Brest firms.
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SANITARY CLEANSING UNDERWAY IN MINSK
Last weekend the authorities shut down two Minsk mini-markets  Kharchovy,
located opposite the Sosny restaurant in the Zavodsky district and Baikalsky
near the Angarskaya str. Previously many Minskers were sadly surprised by the
disappearance of many newsagents booths in vicinity of the central railroad
station, in Skarina prospect and some other places. At the moment one can hardly
buy fresh press anywhere. Vendors from the Baikalsky marketplace are utterly
displeased with the incident  they were practically left without job.
Last Saturday they went for a rally of protest in front of the former Baikalsky
market. The action attracted over a hundred of people. Judging by the low impact,
that such protests have on the authorities, the decision on the markets closure
is unlikely to be reviewed, writes Narodnaya Volya.
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MOLDOVA MAY ALIGN HERSELF WITH UNION IN LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE
Moldavian president Vladimir Voronin deems that his country can join the union
of Russia and Belarus only in the long-term perspective. It would be nicer if
Ukraine determined to join the union ahead of us, for we dont have any common
boundaries with Russia or Belarus. However, considering Kievs position, one
can speak of the possible accession of Moldova into the union only in a distant
perspective,  said Voronin in an interview to the Trud and Rossiyskaya Gazeta
newspapers.
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FOREIGN TRADE TURNOVER GOES DOWNHILL
The Republic of Belarus foreign trade amounts in dollar equivalent to $12,7bln
and contracted in comparison with January-October 2000 by 2,8%, reports the Foreign
Ministry press-service.
Trade turnover with CIS member-states reached $8,3bln or 65,5% of the general
countrys turnover; with other countries  $4,4bln or 34,5% of the total turnover.
The overall cost of the goods sold in the trade with the CIS states contracted
by 2,1%, while with those lying outside CIS  by 4%. One of the reasons for that
was the curtailment of import supplies.
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NO CHAMPAGNE DEFICIT EXPECTED BY NEW YEAR
Therell be no deficit of champagne by the Christmas and New Year holidays, BELTA
correspondent was told by the director of Belarus only champagne and wine factory
of Minsk Mikhail Gordei. By the end of the year they will put on sale 2 million
350 thousand bottles.
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AMBASSADOR WIECK COMMENTS ON COLIN POWELLS STATEMENT
The state secretary mentioned the OSCEs readiness to support democratic transformations
and highly assessed the AMG work in Belarus. It was an exciting sign on behalf
of the USA and EU. It shows that OSCE will keep insisting on real democratic
reforms in Belarus, which never really occurred in there,  commented ambassador
Hans-Georg Wieck on US state secretarys recent statement.
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EBERGARD GAIKEN CONSIDERED HANS-GEORG WIECKS POSSIBLE SUCCESSOR
According to the Radio Svaboda sources in the Foreign Ministry of Germany and
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, head of the OSCE mission in Minsk Hans-Georg
Wieck may be replaced by the German diplomat Ebergard Gaiken. In an interview
to the German Radio correspondent OSCE PA Parliamentary Groups chair Uta Zapf
confirmed that Hans-Georg Wieck would be substituted by Mr.Gaiken  former German
ambassador in Ukraine. Recently Gaiken has been in charge of the German-Ukrainian
forum  organization of bilateral political cooperation. Gaiken is said to be
an expert in the Ukrainian and Belarusian issues.
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LUKASHENKOS FAMILY OWES DOZENS THOUSAND USD FOR RECREATION THIS YEAR
BPF press-center was informed by the Ukrainian journalists, who investigated
into the financial abuses, committed by the Crimean statesmen that Alexander
Lukashenko owes to the Ukrainian tax-payers dozens of thousands of dollars. This
astronomic for most Ukrainians sum was wasted on Lukashenkos luxurious rest
in the prestigious Yalta sanatorium Russia. Crimean speaker Leonid Grach, whos
a committed adherent of Lukashenkos policy and speaks in favor of the USSRs
reanimation, had numerously invited Lukashenko to spend his summer vacation in
the Crimean resorts.
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LUKASHENKOS GUARD GIVES TESTIMONY AT TRIAL OVER IGNATOVICH
Lukashenkos former guard  riot police officer Levonenko  acted as a witness
at the trial over Ignatovichs criminal gang. Some claim that Levonenko was implicated
in the abduction of an ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky. The jury continues to interrogate
key witnesses in Ignatovichs case. The observers note that recently there sprang
up certain disputes between the prosecutors and attorneys as to whom they should
listen to as witnesses, reports Radio Svaboda.
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FIGHT WITH ODD MONEY SUSPENDED
The system of cashless payments among the Belarusian population for the commodity,
worth $200 and more, wont be imposed in the near future, said at the Tuesday
press-conference the Belarusian Minister of Justice Viktor Golovanov. The official
states that at present the government is working out a series of measures, aimed
at binding populations cash possessions. He noted that this year alone Belarusian
residents acquired more than $300mln.
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FOREIGN MINISTERS OF RUSSIA, BELARUS DISAGREE
Bucharest session of OSCE member-states Foreign Ministers is currently underway.
Expectedly, the Ministers will name a successor of Hans-Georg Wieck as OSCE AMG
chair in Belarus, reports the Belarusian service of Radio Svaboda. The major
topic of the Bucharest meeting is doubtless the fight against world terrorism.
Practically all speakers began with that issue, Belarus FM Mikhail Khvostov being
no exception. Moreover, he called to put back in conformity the regional imbalance
in the OSCE. What exactly imbalance he meant remains unclear.
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FASCIST LITERATURE AVAILABLE IN OPEN
Can a person find NAZI or national-chauvinist literature in Belarus? Experience
tells us that no such problem exists. According to some sources, this type of
literature is being widely spread near the Moskovsky bus terminal  this is the
regular place, though unofficial, where the followers of the unregistered pro-fascist
movement Russian National Unity click together. Here one may also order RNU
symbols and swastikas. Certain lovers of music from RNU groups claim that one
can freely purchase on tapes the war hymns of the Third Reich: for 5-10 US dollars
they will bring you from Moscow any collection of military music from the Deutche
Zoldaten series.
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POLICE DONT RETURN SAY NO TO A FOOL! T-SHIRTS
The court of the Central district of Minsk turned down the complaint of the law
consultant of the Free trade union Alexander Korolev over the arbitrary actions
of the Mogilev law-enforcers. Korolev demanded that police officers give him
back a few hundred T-shirts, confiscated in August, with inscriptions Say No
to a Fool!
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BORODIN TO BE REMOVED FROM UNION POST?
MK-Novosti learned this from an informed source in the presidential administration.
The informant stressed that Borodins may become one in a long chain of dismissals
and appointments. Former charge of Eltsins affairs may take the place of AlRos
president Shtyrov, who was yesterday registered as candidate for the president
of Yakutia. At least Borodins candidacy for the post will be upheld by his old
crony deputy prosecutor general of Russia Kolmogorov. The man himself is one
of the key challengers of the president Nikolaev of Yakutia at the upcoming elections.
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
December 5, 2001
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml