The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE January 29, 2003 www.charter97.org --------------------------------------------------------- TIME TO UNITE! 15:13 29/01/2003 At today's press-conference in Minsk they announced the formation of the organizing committee on holding the national rally People's March "For Better Life!", scheduled for March 12, 2003. As is known, originally they planned to hold it last fall. Then the initiative on its implementation has been voiced by a group of public figures economist Ludmila Gryaznova, filmmaker Yuri Khaschevatsky, historian Valentin Golubev, journalist Valery Schukin and diplomat Andrei Sannikov. Later they changed their mind and moved it to the year 2003. Today the People's March idea was discussed by the co-chairman of the public association "Private property" Leonid Malakhov, chairman of the Striking committee of entrepreneurs Valery Levonevsky , Charter'97 civil initiative's coordinator Dmitry Bondarenko, ZUBR coordinator Vladimir Kobets, freelance journalist Vladimir Dzuba and one of the leaders of the democratic coalition of Borisov Leonid Novitsky. All of them were included into the People's March organizing committee, though there still continue negotiations with country's various public organizations and political structures on the concerted implementation of action. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/29/narmar --------------------------------------------------------- BELARUSIAN AUTHORITIES HAMPER "OCHAKOVO" 10:45 29/01/2003 Formation of the joint venture "Moscow plant of alcohol-free beer" by the "Ochakovo" brewery and Brest beer producer remains in the air but hasn't been yet settled down due to the position of the official Minsk. BelaPAN quotes PR-manager of the "Ochakovo" company Galina Grekova as saying that despite the fact that the agreement on intentions with the Slutsk brewery had been signed three years ago and with the Brest plant last year, one cannot really speak of any progress whatsoever at this stage. "Seemingly, there are certain aspects in your state system, which hinder positive situation development," assumes Grekova. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/29/pivo --------------------------------------------------------- OPPOSITION PARTIES CLAIM INADMISSIBILITY OF "PARLIAMENT'S" RECOGNITION 16:46 29/01/2003 Leaders of the Belarusian opposition parties Anatoly Lebedko (United Civil Party), Sergei Kalyakin (Party of communists of Belarus, Alexander Bukhvostov (Belarusian labor party), Stanislav Shushkevich (Belarusian Social-Democratic Gromada) and Valentina Polevikova (United Social-Democratic Party) passed on January 29 a statement, in which they mention deterioration of a political climate in Belarus and declared inadmissibility of the "national assembly's" legitimization. Following read an excerpt from their statement: http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/29/party --------------------------------------------------------- NO ALTERNATIVE AT LOCAL ELECTIONS 16:44 29/01/2003 On January 28 the electoral committees opened registration of candidates into the local councils. The whole procedure will last until January 31. Secretary of the Central Electoral Commission Nikolai Lozovik informed BelaPAN that in total 26,567 nominees would contend for 24,012 deputies' seats, which is slightly more than one runner per seat. The highest competition level has been registered in the capital with 305 candidates for 55 deputies' seats. In 360 electoral constituencies in the regions there nominated themselves 769 contenders, while in 55 capital's constituencies 305 or 5-6 nominees per every mandate in average. In district and village councils there will be practically no alternative at the voting. Lozovik underlined that in general the electoral campaign has been going on quite peacefully. CEC received no complaints about electoral law violations, said he. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/29/local --------------------------------------------------------- FREELANCE CINEMATOGRAPHERS REFUTE OFFICIAL CSC ALLEGATIONS 15:43 29/01/2003 Independent cinematographers refute the official report of the Committee for State Control's press-center. As BelaPAN previously reported, on January 27 the CSC press-service circulated the statement, explaining the motives for arresting the property of the national public association "Belarusian union of cinematographers" in course of its financial examination, commenced on January 2. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/29/kino --------------------------------------------------------- JOURNALISTS AND PUBLIC TO INSPECT "BELOVEZHSKAYA PUSCHA" 10:53 29/01/2003 Expedition of journalists and public representatives to the state national forest reserve "Belovezhskaya Puscha" is scheduled for January 29, BelaPAN was told by Valery Dranchuk editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Belovezhskaya Puscha" and head of the new public initiative "Terra-Convention", set up for the purpose of protecting this ancient European wood. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/29/pusha --------------------------------------------------------- BELARUSIAN PROBLEM RAISED IN STRASBOURG 10:52 29/01/2003, UCP press-service On January 27 the PACE sub-committee for Belarus held deliberations on the situation in Belarus. The Belarusian side was represented at the debates by the chairman of the United Civil Party Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the unregistered United Social-Democratic Party Valentina Polevikova and UCP deputy head Yaroslav Romanchuk. The invited representatives of the "national assembly" didn't show up at the hearings, leaving their booked seats vacant. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/29/pace --------------------------------------------------------- "HE MUST GO!" SLOGAN ON 30-METER HEIGHT 10:50 29/01/2003, ZUBR On January 28 the unknown brave-hearts from Brest wrote a popular banner at the wall of the local hotel, which is still under construction. The slogan was spray-painted in huge letters and so was clearly seen from the street. On the other side of the building they painted a white-red-white flag and graffiti "ZUBR". http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/29/zubr --------------------------------------------------------- CHURCH, STATE REGULATE RELATIONS 10:48 29/01/2003 The Belarusian Orthodox Church submitted to the government the draft agreement, regulating the relations between the church and the state in the political, economic, spiritual and social spheres. "State's cooperation with the church is a prerequisite of the public stability, civil unity and religious peace," reads the draft agreement of the Belarusian Orthodox Church, the copy of which was received by "Interfax". http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/29/ortodox --------------------------------------------------------- TBM ON VERGE OF CLOSURE 10:37 29/01/2003 The Supreme Belarusian Court is set to consider the appeal of the "Association of the Belarusian Language" (TBM) against the policy of the Justice Ministry, which reprimanded the organization two months ago. Given the court doesn't cancel the warning, TBM may face the danger of closure, for it will be their second one. Expectedly, the final court's verdict will be pronounced on January 29. http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/29/tbm --------------------------------------------------------- CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE January 29, 2003 www.charter97.org -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=media.charter97 http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com