Mailing List Service Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE February 6, 2002 read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml ---------------------------------------------------------------- ZUBR DECLARES MORATORIUM ON GRAFFITI Youth movement ZUBRs went for a moratorium on graffiti. Such an unexpected change in the movements main activity has been caused by the new ZUBRs strategy, said the participants of the todays press-conference. The new strategy is aimed at protecting the social rights of citizens. ZUBR will demand that the citizens taxes should not be spent on catering for the mindless ruler and his punitive apparatus needs, but rather on ensuring the normal working conditions for the ordinary folks. Within the framework of the new strategy there have been held social actions in Mogilev, Gomel, Borisov, Molodechno, Baranovichi, Maryina Gorka, Vileika, Zhodino, Krupky, Smolevichi. In all these towns ZUBRs demanded from local authorities to improve the performance of transport, to clean up streets in due time, to organize public lavatories and enhance the municipal services operation. Over 100.000 ads, urging the tenants to address the municipal services and demand from them the fulfillment of their obligations, had been glued at the blocks of flats in Minsk and 17 other Belarusian towns, says ZUBR. The wave of social actions will rock the country in the near future, they add. The decision to give up the graffiti idea for one month is explained by ZUBRs in the following way: We are convinced that the municipal services know how to work well. In course of the year their personnel professionally whitewashed ZUBRs political graffiti. From February 6, 2002 ZUBR will go on a one-month moratorium for graffiti, in order not to distract them from executing their direct duties. ---------------------------------------------------------------- BELARUSIAN, LITHUANIAN DEMOCRATS DISCUSS SITUATION IN BELARUS Leaders of the democratic parties of Belarus Anatoly Lebedko, Vintsuk Vyachorka, Alexander Dobrovolsky and Aleksei Korol held a series of meetings with the faction of liberals, conservatives and social-democrats of the Lithuanian parliament. The United Civil Party press-center reports that the sides discussed the condition of the Belarusian-Lithuanian relations and the perspectives of the bilateral cooperation. UCP chair Anatoly Lebedko, commenting on his Vilnius trips outcomes, underscored that the composition of the Lithuanian parliament underwent significant changes. Over 100 deputies have been for the very first time elected into it. This factor needs to be taken into account. Fortunately, the meetings were of not only informational but also practical character. We talked through a whole range of concerted and very concrete deeds. ---------------------------------------------------------------- LUKASHENKO THREATENS TO HANG EVERYONE As a result of the multiple machinations, conducted by the former head of the Belarusian railroad Viktor Rakhmanko, the state lost $44mln, reported on February 5 the Belarusian television. 8 legal actions had been instituted against the railroad workers, while 110 staffers had been brought to administrative accountability. BT televised Lukashenkos commentary on the situation, which the man voiced during his meeting with the railroad representatives: With such a high level of responsibility we wont forgive anyone anything neither to the relatives, nor to those who are close to us. How come you are doing this stuff? When one makes such step he pokes his head into a ropes loop. I dont understand your psychology. With such barbarity, applied against swindlers, whom I hate, you are violating the law yourselves! Now both opposition and cheats blame me for imprisoning people. No, it wasnt I who sent them to jail, nor was it Sheiman. They themselves went there, said Lukashenko. ---------------------------------------------------------------- BELARUSIAN, KOREAN REGIMES INTENSIFY COOPERATION The Ministers of foreign affairs of Belarus and North Korea Mikhail Khvostov and Pek Nam Sun respectively exchanged personal congratulations on the occasion of the ten-year anniversary since the sides established diplomatic relations. The missive of the Belarusian FM head reads among other things that at the present-day level one needs to pay greater attention to the creation of favorable conditions in order to deepen the mutually beneficial connections in the sphere of commerce, science, culture and education. The North Korean Minister of foreign affairs in his turn said that the friendship and cooperation between our countries will definitely be developing in future. The Belarusian FM press-service reports that over the past ten years they observed the gradual development of both political and economic Belarusian-Korean contacts. They had already set up and launched into operation the intergovernmental commission for trade-economic cooperation, whose goal is to create conditions for active bilateral economic cooperation. Both sides, reads the FMs report, keep to similar positions, as far as the key international points are concerned. ---------------------------------------------------------------- COMMUNICATION TARIFFS TO GO UPHILL AGAIN The Belarusian Minister of communication Vladimir Goncharenko said at the February 5 departments session, dedicated to the outcomes of the industrys last year performance, that the tariffs on domestic communication do not correspond to the level of real wages. The Minister further noted that their low profitability would require a rise in their size this year. According to the official, the industrys profitability constituted this year 5,7%, which is lower than in 2000. Beltelecom with a 24,5% profitability index has four subsidiaries working at a loss in provinces. 92 district state-run communication companies are also financial losers. ---------------------------------------------------------------- KIEVS GAS RETALIATION GazetaSNG The contradictory information about the results of the February 4 session of the Gasproms directorate didnt profit it much. The problem is, in no time after the meeting ended there arose rumors about Gasproms alleged refusal to lay down the Yamal-Europe gas pipelines branch, which was supposed to stretch all the way through Belarus and Poland. This pipeline is called to deliver to Europe, around the territory of Ukraine, 30bln cubic of Russian gas annually. Almost all Europes biggest gas concerns joined in the consortium with Gasprom, set to construct the pipe. These are: the Italian Eni, French Gas de France, German Ruhrgas and Wintershall. Evil tongues even speculated that the gas concerns directors had approved the Gasprom managers proposal to direct the funds to solve the more acute needs of the gas monopolist. However, literally the next day Interfaxs anonymous source dismissed these allegations as groundless. Although the experts agreed that these reports represent part of Gasproms informational campaign, which is negotiating with Poland over the construction of the gas pipe, official Kiev views this information from a different angle. It deserves mention that Ukraine is furious over Vladimir Putin and Alexander Kvasnevskys recent decision, under which Moscow will build the gas pipeline into Europe, avoiding the territory of Ukraine. And now Kiev is seemingly playing them back. Ukraines state commission for bonds passed a decision to forbid the national joint stock company Naftogas Ukraine to issue into circulation European bonds worth $1401mln with their consequent transfer to Gasprom as payment for the supplied, yet unpaid natural gas. PRIME-TASS reports that the refusal is explained by Naftogass alleged failure to comply with the existing legislation provisions touching upon the proper bond issue procedure. ---------------------------------------------------------------- FIFA REFEREE TOOK OVER BATE FC DIRECTOR POST ON RELEASE FROM JAIL Notorious FIFA referee from Belarus Gennady Yakubovsky, who had been released from custody last month, decided to finish his referees career and became a technical director of the soccer club BATE (Borisov) last national championships bronze medallist. As you remember, Yakubovsky had been arrested on grounds of large-scale embezzlement. The jury sentenced him to 2-year prison term. Its worth mention that Yakubovsky spend in custody around 10 months, during which the investigation lasted. ---------------------------------------------------------------- LUKASHENKO DEALS WITH DEFENSE MINISTRY, SECURITY COUNCIL Alexander Lukashenko pointed the Defense Ministry leadership at the necessity to keep up discipline in the troops. Listening on Wednesday to the Defense Minister colonel-general Leonid Maltsevs report, the Belarusian leader stressed that the discipline problems in the Belarusian army are paid particular attention due to the recently occurred incident, with three soldiers stealing weapons and going into hiding in one of the villages near Minsk. The fugitives were in no time arrested by a SOBR group. Lukashenko noted that this is becoming a permanent tendency. Seems like the Minister and the Defense Ministrys leadership are too preoccupied with the armys reformation and the international activities, as a result of which they are having poor discipline. This fault is the responsibility of commanders, also being caused by the lack of supervision on behalf of the Security Councils state secretary, he said. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ANDREI ZAITSAUS FATHER SET TO INSTITUTE PROCEEDINGS THROUGH COURT Yuri Zaitsau, father of the activist of the Homel branch of the unregistered youth resistance movement Zubr Andrei Zaitsau, who allegedly committed suicide under KGB officers pressure, is determined to bring up an action on the fact of his sons death, with the help of the court. Yuri Zaitsau lodged a complaint on the ruling of the court of the Soviet district of Homel that denied instituting criminal proceedings. According to Zaitsau, the denial to institute criminal proceedings was not proved and cannot be substantiated in actual fact, as the public prosecutors office had not looked into the majority of the details related to the tragedy. The father, in particular, refers to the fact that the prosecutors office has not interrogated a number of witnesses. The latter could have proved that Andrei told them about persecution by a man who named himself an officer of the KGB administration in the Homel region. Besides, Yuri Zaitsau believes that the investigation has taken too lightly the appeal of his son to the Belarusian Helsinki Committee. In that appeal the young man informed that he was recruited to stool pigeons, and about an audiotape of a phone talk with a recruiter, during which Andreis friends were present, by the way. The father of the 24-year-old Andrei Zaitsau is sure that there is enough evidence that make it possible to identify the KGB officer who forced his son to work for KGB. Yuri Zaitsau asks the court to revoke the public prosecutors ruling and forward the materials for instituting of the criminal proceedings. ---------------------------------------------------------------- BELARUS AT THE 72ND PLACE IN THE WORLD AT PUBLIC HEALTH LEVEL Belarus occupies the 72nd place in the level of public health, according to the latest report of the World Health Organization. As stated by the WHO report, the best public health system is created in France. Italy is on the second place, and then goes San Marino, a tiny European state. Beside them among the states included to the first ten are: Andorra, Malta, Singapore, Spain, Oman, Austria and Japan. What concerns the post-Soviet states, Russia takes the 130th position, Kazakhstan the 64th, Ukraine the 79th, Lithuania the 73rd, Estonia the 77th, Moldova the 101st, Armenia the 104th, Azerbaijan the 109th, Georgia- the 114th, Uzbekistan the 117th, Kyrgyzstan the 151st, Turkmenistan the 153rd, Tajikistan the 154th. Compare with China at 144th place, India at 112th, Poland at the 50th, Albania at the 55th. ---------------------------------------------------------------- BELARUS AND CUBA SUCCESSFULLY SUPPLEMENT EACH OTHER Belarusian MPs are to consider the proposal of the Cuban Plenipotentiary Ambassador in Belarus Felix Leon Carbalio to visit Cuba. It was said by the deputy chair of the standing commission of the national assembly on international affairs and ties Syarhei Kastsyan during his meeting with Cuban diplomats. In Kastsyans opinion, Belarus and Cuba, that are characterized by stability in society and economy, can effectively supplement one another in their search of problems solutions of the economical crisis-1998. ---------------------------------------------------------------- KHIMVALAKNO SHARES TO BE SOLD BEFORE MARCH 15 Concern Belneftekhim should work out a question of selling shares of Mahilyou enterprise Khimvalakno. The list of investors is not authorized yet, but it is known for sure that at the first stage the working control of shares would be left for the state. As leadership of the enterprise say, alteration of the form of ownership for the manufacturers is a chance t have a real owner, that will be able to restart production of competitive goods, that later will be sold profitably. Such owners can be found only outside Belarus. Among potential investors of the Mahilyou unitary enterprise are Well-known Russian oil nad gas companies LUKOIL, Surgutneftegas, Slavneft. ---------------------------------------------------------------- BELARUSIAN DIASPORA TO BRING UP DISAPPEARANCE ISSUE WORLDWIDE Chairman of the Council of the Belarusian National Republic Ivonka Survilla sent an answer to Zinaida Gonchars letter, in which the spouse of the missing opposition politician, who vanished 2 years ago, pleaded with the Belarusian community overseas to help her locate her husband. Following is the full text of Ivonka Survillas letter: I was reading with great sadness your letter of February 1, for after September 1999 Im reading everything that touches upon the destiny of your respected husband Viktor Gonchar. I know how it hurts, because I myself went through a similar tragedy in my childhood, when the NKVD agents carried away my innocent father. My mother wept for a year then, telling everyone in vain that her husband was blameless. The history of our poor homeland, regrettably, repeats, but the people arent willing nor are able to comprehend it. Being concerned with how to make ends meet, they fail to understand that tomorrow their turn may come and there will be no one to protect them. Id like to tell you, dear Mrs.Gonchar, that we, along with the rest of the free world, see your efforts. Your first open letter to Boris Eltsin in September 1999 I myself translated into English and sent, alongside with my personal request, to a then Foreign Minister of Canada Lloyd Aksuorty. I know for sure that the representatives of the Canadian government raised this issue at the international forums. Members of the BNR (Belarusian National Republic) Council in USA and Europe also addressed their governments. Unfortunately, the dictatorship, which holds on to power by force, can only be convinced by force. Especially when it is indifferent to the nations destiny. ---------------------------------------------------------------- POLISH MEDIA COMPARE MODERN-DAY BELARUS WITH BREZHNEVS ERA The Polish press recalls this very period of the Soviet rule, when highlighting the introduction of licenses to hold opinion polls and Atlant directors placement in the mental hospital. Recently the Belarusian State University and the Academy of sciences received a letter from the presidential Administration, reading that in accordance with Alexander Lukashenkos order all polls and sociological researches may take place solely on the basis of license, issued by the presidents Administration, reports in its yesterday issue Gazeta Wyborcha. The daily newspaper quotes professor Oleg Manaev as saying that the new administrations ruling can be compared with 70ies and 80ies practices, with all Soviet research institutions being in KGBs control. Gazeta Wyborcha also underscores that the exertion of pressure on the independent sociologists is related to their activities during the presidential campaign. The authors of the articles, with a reference to the independent Belarusian experts, also note that sending the detainees to the mental hospitals may be used in order to intimidate the countrys citizens or make the suspects confess their guilt. ---------------------------------------------------------------- GOMEL MOTOR PLANT DISCONNECTED FROM OUTER WORLD Gomel plant of starting engines was left without any connection to the outer world. In addition to the cessation of heat and hot water supplies, the municipal authorities switched off most of their phones. Moreover, the tax inspection of the Sovietsky district petitioned the economic court over the liquidation of the plant. Since the beginning of the new year the workers have received no money. In December, under the Cabinets ruling, the plant was earmarked by the bank another credit worth 168mln rubles and cleared off its autumn indebtedness before workers. Nonetheless, now the company again owes the workers their December and January monies. The greatest indebtedness the company has before its budget. In total, the plant owes over 2bln rubles. Its director Mikhail Kondratenko doesnt consider the situation hopeless. The launching motors, small-sized diesels, reducing gears and electrodes enjoy high demand at both Belarusian and Russian market. According to the director, the pre-election $100 salary race deprived the plant of its turnover assets. The plant needs loans to purchase materials and spare parts, rather than to pay off salaries. Ive been telling them for a whole year: dont give me credits for wages. Instead, give me the money for turnover assets, so that I would be able to manufacture enough goods, sell them and pay the workers their salaries, said Mikhail Kondratenko in an interview to Radio Svaboda. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE February 6, 2002 read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.charter97 http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com