CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
December 26, 2001
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml
----------------------------------------------------------------
BELARUSIAN MOTIVE
Voice of America
3 months have passed since the re-election of Alexander Lukashenka as the president
of the Republic of Belarus. 100 days in power is considered to be a term, sufficient
to evaluate the performance of the newly appointed administration. In case with
Belarus most of her citizens lives deteriorated.
----------------------------------------------------------------
RUSSIA TO PROFIT LITTLE FROM UNION WITH BELARUS
Most of the surveyed listeners of the Echo of Moscow radio station believe
that Russia wont benefit at all from the union with Belarus. Express-poll, conducted
within the framework of the program Rikochet, manifested that 61% of respondents
cling to this opinion, whereas 39% assume that union with Belarus will do good
to Russia. In course of this 5-minute poll, the radio station received 2258 incoming
calls.
----------------------------------------------------------------
IVONKA SURVILA GREETED KURAPATY DEFENDERS
Chairwoman of the Belarusian Peoples Republic Ivonka Survila published an open
address to Kurapaty defenders: Dear friends! On the eve of the Christmas holidays
I would like to express my gratitude for your protest in Kurapaty. You defend
not only the graves of our grandfathers who perished from terror in Kurapaty.
You defend the honor of the nation! With all my heart I wish you festive mood,
despite of all hardships, and a better year -2002. Long live Belarus! Ivonka
Survila, Chair of the Belarusian Peoples Republic.
----------------------------------------------------------------
BHC SUES SOVETSKAYA BELORUSSIYA OVER SLANDER
The Belarusian Helsinki Committee demands through court refutation of slanderous
data, disseminated in the Sovetskaya Belorussiya September 5 issue. The newspaper
published a libelous article, claiming that the BHC activities allegedly subvert
the countrys national security. In course of the past three months the BHC was
trying hard to get this information publicly refuted. The human rights defenders
addressed the KGB, the Security Council and even the very presidential Administration
and none of these institutions confirmed BHCs involvement in anti-state activities.
----------------------------------------------------------------
 AMRIT FACES LEGAL ACTION
Personnel of the Department for financial research of the Committee for state
control for the Vitebsk region launched an inspection into the financial activities
of the joint-stock company Amrit. BELTA reports that the afore-mentioned enterprise,
having no proper license on petroleum products wholesale business, supplied 29,9
tons of diesel fuel to the Minsk Zlatoust Ltd. They earned over 7mln rubles
in profits from this transaction. Now Amrit is facing legal action for the
affair.
----------------------------------------------------------------
PRICES HIT RECORD LEVEL
According to the Ministry of statistic and analysis of Belarus, over the first
two weeks of December the growth of consumer prices in Belarus constituted 2,8%
(1,7% - the first, 1,1% - the last). This year that was the most significant
rise over the first fortnight of the month. Within the first two weeks of November
the prices went up by 1,8%, October  1,4%. Since the beginning of the year the
consumer prices in Belarus increased by 42,4% (over the same period in 2000 
by 2,03 times, including in the first two weeks of December  by 2,9%).
----------------------------------------------------------------
SALARY DROPS BY 0,6% IN NOVEMBER
In November this year the average accrued monthly salary of workers and state
servants fell in comparison with the speeding price growth. The Ministry of statistics
and analysis reports that over the last month the salary decreased by 0,6% (from
151,210 to 150,247 rubles). Meantime, the consumer prices rose by 4,6% with the
market dollar rate reaching a 3,2% surplus. In the hard currency equivalent the
average salary dropped from 99,81 to 96,08 dollars, which constitutes 3,7%. Lower
salaries were observed in June only ($92,65). In July it equaled to 100,05 dollars,
in August  102,80, September  98,82. In the ruble equivalent the salary descended
well below the August level (150,854).
----------------------------------------------------------------
AVERAGE SALARY IN BREST REGION DROPS
Average salary in Brest region will not reach 100 USD until the end of the year.
In last months salaries tend to decrease, and not to rise. The average salary
for September was a little less than in August. The same tendency is witnessed
with the November salary. Last month it was equal to 125.8 thousand BLR, while
in October it amounted to 126.6 thousand BLR.
----------------------------------------------------------------
OIL REFINERIES TO AUGMENT IMPORTS TO BELARUS
President of the Surgutneftgas Vladimir Bogdanov declared on December 25 that
in 2002 his company will raise the oil production to the level of 47-50mln tons.
Izvestia write that this will be a 14% increase. However, Surgut wont supersaturate
the interior market with its petroleum. The companys import to Belarus will
grow by one forth. In 2001 Surgut will ship to Belarus 8mln tons of oil (6,5mln
to the Novopolotsk refinery and 1,5mln  to Mozyr), while in 2002  only 10mln.
----------------------------------------------------------------
COMMUNICATION TARIFFS GO UPHILL
The national state amalgamation Beltelecom raised tariffs on communications
services on December 23. BelaPAN was told in the Beltelecom that the change
of tariffs happened under the decision of the Commission for coordinating price
policy, operating under the auspices of the Cabinet. Commissions primary task
is to ensure profitability of communications companies in the atmosphere of constantly
growing running costs.
----------------------------------------------------------------
TARIFFS FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES INCREASED BY 33-143 PER CENT
In December tariffs for municipal services for population increased again. By
3.7 percent increased rent (technical service) and fee for elevator, the same
was rise of hot water, heating, cold water and sewerage, garbage elimination.
Gas costs raised by 19.2 percent.
----------------------------------------------------------------
RECREATION FOR BELARUSIANS BECOMES TOO EXPENSIVE
Prime costs of passes to sanatoriums and rest houses in Belarus will increase
by 4 in the beginning of the next year. As the reporter of the Soiuz-Info was
told at the Republican Center for Sanitation and Health-Resort Treatment, from
January 1 an average cost of the place in the resort in Belarus will be about
350-400 thousand BLR.
----------------------------------------------------------------
VLADIMIR GONCHARIK QUITS FTU CHAIRMAN SEAT
Vladimir Goncharik leaves the post of the chairman of the Free Trade Union of
Belarus owing to his appointment as deputy chair of the Universal confederation
of trade unions  organization, uniting the largest professional centers of the
CIS states. Goncharik himself said this at the December 22 session of the FTU
Councils presidium. BelaPAN quotes chair of the trade union of car-building
and agricultural industry Alexander Bukhvostov as saying that on December 21
Goncharik paid a visit to Moscow, where his new appointment was approved. According
to Bukhvostov, Gonchariks determination to give up his former post came as no
surprise to them.
----------------------------------------------------------------
WIECK ADMITS HIS FAILURE TO FULFILL OSCE TASK
Chair of the Advisory-Monitoring OSCE Group Hans-Georg Wieck, speaking at his
farewell reception, commemorating the expiration of his mandate in office, stressed
that on December 19, 1997 a then OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Danish Foreign Minister
Peterson appointed him OSCE AMG chair in Belarus. Although Wiecks tenure in
office has come to an end already, the AMG will continue their efforts in Belarus,
for the task, which they are entrusted to do, has never been accomplished: no
free democratic elections have taken place in Belarus so far.
----------------------------------------------------------------
SCANDAL OVER THE UNION STATE
GazetaSNG
Alexander Lukashenkos visit to Belarus was followed by a scandal. In essence,
Lukashenko headed for the Russian capital in order to engage in the session of
the Supreme State Council of the union state and also discuss with Vladimir
Putin, Yuri Luzhkov and directors of the Slavneft and Surgutneftgas companies
a series of poignant issues. The head of state came to Moscow in a company of
the countrys Prime Minister Gennady Novitsky to participate in the meeting of
the union states Cabinet of Ministers, where they debated on the fulfillment
of the agreement on coining the unique Russian-Belarusian monetary unit.
----------------------------------------------------------------
BELARUS IN DEBTS
gazeta.ru
At one of the recent press conferences Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin
mentioned in jest that this year Russia has become a real IMF for Belarus. But
it is not a joke, as in the end of 200O Central Bank authorized issuing a credit
for stabilization of Belarusian ruble rate. And now Kasianov talks about structural
reforms and Russian budget-2002 which includes funds for such stabilization.
Indeed, Belarusian economy is still so little and weak, that even Russia in comparison
can feel itself an International Monetary Fund.
----------------------------------------------------------------
VITEBSK TRADE UNIONS ANGERED BY OFFICIAL ARBITRARINESS
The leadership of the Vitebsk regional trade union associations demanded cancellation
of the governmental order On measures to protect trade unionists rights. The
local trade union leaders indignation was particularly caused by the fact that
the state is spending the money which doesnt belong to it. Instead of transferring
to the trade union accounts their legitimate fees, the state in its December
14 ruling obliged the employers to personally return the money to every worker.
Due to this human rights measure, the trade unions of Belarus may lose some
3bln rubles, claim Vitebsk trade union people.
----------------------------------------------------------------
POLOTSK MAY LOSE ITS TEMPLE
GazetaSNG
On December 21 the personnel of the Polotsk national historical museum of Belarus
received the news which immediately shocked them. The Polotsk town hall was faxed
a message, reading that the State Committee for religions determined to give
over to the Belarusian Orthodox Church a legendary Polotsk Sofiysky Sobor temple.
The authorities also told the museum staff to get the place ready for the takeover
by March 1.
----------------------------------------------------------------
ELECTRICITY COSTS TO RISE BY 40 PER CENT
By the end of the first quarter costs for electrical energy for population in
Belarus are to rise by 40%, said the minister of the power engineering Uladzimer
Syamashka at a press conference in Minsk. As said by him, BelaPAN informs, this
increase was planned by the budget project for 2002, according to the conception
of liquidation of cross subsidizing for municipal services for population. (Now
population pays from 13,9 to 19,2 BLR for a kilowatt per hour of electric energy).
----------------------------------------------------------------
 UNION TELEVISION TO BE MANUFACTURED BY SOYUZ
A newly formed Russian-Belarusian holding Soyuz, specializing in the manufacture
of TV-sets, is planned to be registered in Feberuary 2002, Interfax was told
by Petr Kutlivy, first deputy director general of the Central Interstate company
FPG Electronic technologies, which will be running the Soyuz holding management.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
December 26, 2001
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml