CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February 7, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml
----------------------------------------------------------------
AUTHORITIES INSIST ON OSCE AMG MANDATES REVISION
The Belarusian side keeps insisting on the revision of the OSCE AMG groups mandate.
As noted at the February 7 Minsk briefing the press-secretary of the Belarusian
Foreign Ministry Pavel Latushko, OSCE AMG cannot pursue political goals in Belarus.
The FM, according to Latushko, appreciates the OSCE PA working groups visit
to Minsk, although its approaches are quite different from the OSCEs.
----------------------------------------------------------------
MINISTRY OF STATISTICS KEEPS NO RECORDS OF BELARUS ARMS SALES
The Ministry of statistics of Belarus sees no necessity in collecting information
about the states shipment of ammunition abroad, said deputy chief of the Ministry
Vladislav Metezh at the press-conference in Minsk. Do we need this for the GDP?
No. And so we dont gather such data. Thats the Security Council or Defense
Ministrys business,  noted Metezh.
----------------------------------------------------------------
SIGNATURE COLLECTION TO LOCATE VIKTOR GONCHAR
A few dozen thousand signatures were gathered by the public foundation The Belarusian
organization of employed women in support of Zinaida Gonchars plea to help
her locate her husband  famous Belarusian politician Viktor Gonchar, who vanished
in September 1999.
----------------------------------------------------------------
COURT REFUSES TO PROTEST PAGONYAS CLOSURE
The Supreme Economic Court declined to review its own decision to shut down the
newspaper Pagonya. Such a reply, signed by the deputy chair of the SEC Egorov,
to the submitted complaint was received today by Pagonyas editorial board.
----------------------------------------------------------------
LUKASHENKO APPOINTS LOYAL RAILROAD BOSS
Vremya novostei
Viktor Rakhmankos successor at the Belarusian railroads directors post became
Vasily Gapeev. According to Alexander Lukashenko, he is an honest man, faithful
to the state, people and industry. In relation to the former head of the railway
they instituted criminal action, placing him under house arrest.
----------------------------------------------------------------
KLIMOVICHI DISTRICT HEAD FOR STEALING VODKA
There became known some nuances of the so-called Klimovichi case. This lawsuit
was opened last December in the Klimovichi district of the Mogilev region. One
of the defendants on the case was the district council chair Vladimir Konovalov.
----------------------------------------------------------------
REGIME DISCRIMINATES AGAINST UNIATE CHURCH
This opinion was voiced by the chairman of the Greek Catholic community of Polotsk
Nikolai Sharah. As a proof of this let me cite one example: our denomination
received back only one of the many temples, previously belonging to the Uniate
church (1559-1839), which it lost after the countrys accession to the Russian
empire,  BelaPAN quotes Sharah as saying.
----------------------------------------------------------------
HUMANITARIAN AID BANNED IN BARANOVICHI
Baranovichi authorities denied the Baptist church in renting the hall in which
they could pass out the humanitarian aid. Gazeta dlya vas reported that the
Baranovichi church of evangelical Baptist Christians received a humanitarian
aid from abroad  1,5 thousand gifts. They initially planned to run a party for
handicapped kids and give them the presents. However, the town council denied
them the space for doing that. Last year Christians from this church rented a
Palace of officers and staged there a holiday for disabled children.
----------------------------------------------------------------
TRADE TURNOVER BETWEEN BELARUS, RUSSIA IN DECLINE
In 2001 the trade turnover between Belarus and Russia fell by 0,8%, amounting
to $9bln190,4mln, reports the Finmarket agency with a reference to the press-service
of the Russian State Committee for taxation. Nonetheless, Belarus remains Russias
main partner among the former USSR countries and second after Germany among all
the worlds countries.
----------------------------------------------------------------
BELARUS CONQUERS LATIN AMERICAN MARKETS
Belarus is highly interested in cooperation with Latin America and especially
Bolivia  the country with the great potential, said Alexander Lukashenko during
his meeting with the head of the Bolivian diplomatic mission. Bolivias plenipotentiary
ambassador for Russia and Belarus Gonsalo de Acha Prado handed in on February
6 his credentials to the Belarusian leader.
----------------------------------------------------------------
INDUSTRIAL CRISIS HITS HARD AT PENSION SYSTEM
In the year 2001 the national pension system, built around the distribution principle,
felt upon itself a significant influence of the deteriorating financial condition
of companies, which are the main payees of the insurance dues, said at the February
6 Minsk briefing the Minister of culture and social protection of Belarus Antonina
Morova. According to her, this, in first turn, has seriously limited the possibilities
to enhance the level of pensions. The restricted financial resources also prevent
them from strengthening the insurance principles of the pension system and carrying
out the necessary differentiation of pension size depending on the insurance
base.
----------------------------------------------------------------
SALARY INDEBTEDNESS IN MOGILEV AMOUNTS TO 5,5BLN BLR
According to the January 31, 2002 statistics, the size of the salary indebtedness
in the Mogilev region reached 5,5bln rubles, which is 10% of the monthly salary
fund. Out of this sum 2,2bln rubles falls on the agricultural companies, 1,7bln
 on industrial ones, 800mln  on construction organizations.
----------------------------------------------------------------
BELARUS WAITS FOR NEXT 1.5 BILLION RUSSIAN RUBLES
The agreement on the terms and time of the allocation to Belarus of the third
tranche of the credit from the Central Bank of Russia is to be finally coordinated
by April, 1. It was said to Interfax by the first deputy of the National Bank
of Belarus chair Pavel Kallaur who commented on the results of the meeting of
the Central Banks heads in Pskov on February, 4.
----------------------------------------------------------------
US EMBASSY IN MINSK DECLARES NO CHANGE OF POLICY TOWARDS BELARUS
yusnews.info
In an interview to the newspaper Sovietskaya Belorussiya the Minister of Foreign
Affairs Mikhail Khvostov said that the position of the US ambassador in Belarus
Michael Kozak has changed. A man, whos been living in Belarus for more than
a year now, sees our country, its president, its government and its peoples
lives in a different perspective now. In response, the US embassy said the following
on February 6: We can categorically state that the US policy towards Belarus
hasnt changed. The American government also recalled ambassador Kozaks speech
at the November 24, 2001 Minsk forum, where he said: We got to be most unambiguous
and concrete as we are telling the Belarusian authorities and nation what we
demand from them: the rule of law, under which both peaceful political opposition
and the civil society can act the way they do in other countries  that is without
fear. The system, under which any viewpoint can be expressed through media 
both state and independent ones  and not be followed by censorship or fear of
repression. Also transparent and democratic electoral process. And, finally,
the return to the legislative and judiciary powers of their sovereign authority.
----------------------------------------------------------------
COURT TURNS DOWN YURI ZAITSAUS COMPLAINT ABOUT PROSECUTORS ACTIONS
The court of the Soviet district of Homel has declined the complaint of the father
of the departed Zubr activist Andrei Zaitsau about public prosecutors offices
actions. The father went to court as the Soviet district prosecutors office
denied to instigate legal proceedings and investigate all the circumstances of
his son, who was recruited by KGB.
----------------------------------------------------------------
PROTEST ON ANDREI KLIMOVS ARREST 4TH ANNIVERSARY
At noon on February 11, on the forth anniversary since the arrest of the famous
13th Supreme Soviet parliamentary and businessman Andrei Klimov, the activists
of the United Civil Party will form a chain of those who care near the jail
in the Kalvariyskaya street of Minsk where Klimov is currently serving his term.
As you remember, Andrei Klimov had been sentenced by the Leninsky court of Minsk
to six years of imprisonment for alleged large-scale theft and forgery during
the construction of the block of flats in the Lodochnaya street in Minsk. Andrei
didnt confess his guilt, his defense claimed absence of corpus delicti on his
part, while the international and domestic human rights watchdogs stated the
political motives behind the incarceration.
----------------------------------------------------------------
ELECTIONS INTO LOCAL SOVIETS TO BE ANNOUNCED BY DEC.4 AT LATEST
Alexander Lukashenkos decree on the announcement of elections into the local
authorities will appear in late November-early December 2002, said during the
February 6 meeting with the press the chairwoman of the Central Electoral Commission
for elections and referenda Lydia Ermoshina. CEC head explained that in accordance
with the Constitution and the Electoral Code the elections into the local soviets
are to be carried out at least 30 days prior to the expiration of their predecessors
mandate, which is due to take place on April 4, 2003. Under the existing legislation
the electoral commissions are given three months for preparations. Thus, the
local elections must be announced before December 4, 2002.
----------------------------------------------------------------
25 TAX INSPECTORS STOOD JUSTICE IN 2001
Last year, reports the Ministry for taxation of Belarus, 1,119 employees of the
countrys tax inspections have been brought to the disciplinary accountability.
19 lawsuits had been instituted against 25 inspectors. The Ministry notes that
the existence of such facts testifies to the insufficient prophylactic work and
low requirements, set by the chiefs before their subordinates. Thus, they need
to intensify the staff potential of the tax bodies.
----------------------------------------------------------------
GAS PIPE TO BYPASS UKRAINE
Preparation of the technical-economic justification of the project on laying
down the gas pipeline, which would go round the territory of Ukraine through
Poland, is still underway, reports the Gasproms press-service. Concrete steps
on this project will be passed not until the consideration of this document,
reads their statement. During the Monday session of Gasproms board they didnt
raise the issue of launching a gas pipes branch Kobrin-Vilke Kapushany around
the territory of Ukraine into Poland.
----------------------------------------------------------------
GEORGIA AND BELARUS LEAD IN DOLLAR EXCHANGE RATE GROWTH IN JANUARY
Georgia and Belarus happened to become leaders among the former USSR countries
in the growth of the official exchange rate of the US dollar. This is the result
of the analysis of the indices obtained by BelaPAN from the Central Banks of
these states. The official exchange rate in Georgia has risen by 6.65% over month
(from 2.06 to 2.1969 lari), and in Belarus by 3.67% (from 1,580 to 1,638 BYB).
----------------------------------------------------------------
CHERNOBYL RADIOACTIVE FALL-OUTS LASTING AFFECT
Consequences of the Chernobyl disaster still have negative affect on the millions
of Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians. Such a conclusion has been drawn by
the UN experts in their report. They claim that the local authorities are doing
little to improve the situation on the contaminated territories. In this connection
theres still a need for the international aid. However, deem the United Nations
specialists, the character of this aid has to be transformed, meaning the support
of the economic development of the polluted districts.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February 7, 2002
read the details at www.charter97.org/e/index.phtml