CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 30, 2003
www.charter97.org
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YAN NOVAK-EZYARANSKY: EVERY YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE IS A LOTTERY WIN
16:39 30/01/2003, Nasha Niva

Yan Novak Ezyaransky met with the civil and political figures of the city. He
spoke about his perception of Belarus and Belarusians and personal desire to
help. He stressed that he's particularly glad to visit Belarus and is impressed
by his conversation with the Belarusian elite. The guest pinpointed that he does
not represent interests of USA or Poland, but expresses his personal views instead.
However, he'd like to share his own ideas with representatives of the top echelon
of US government. With his friend Zbignev Bzhezinsky and representatives of the
Polish authorities. With those, who are interested in Belarus. They've got to
make more active the US and Polish policy regarding Belarus, he says. They need
to put Belarus high on the list of the US and Polish priorities. That is the
main goal of his personal mission.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/30/nn

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10 DAYS ARREST FOR ANTI-RUSSIAN PICKET
11:46 30/01/2003

On January 29 the Central district court of Minsk ruled ten days of administrative
arrest against the activist from opposition Vyacheslav Sivchik. Right from the
courtroom they convoyed him to the Central district court of Minsk and then escorted
to Okrestina pre-trial confinement center. He was blamed over participation in
anti-Russian January 19 picket on the day of Vladimir Putin's recent coming to
Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/30/piket

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SERGEI KOVALEV: BELARUSIAN AUTHORITIES RELUCTANT TO INVESTIGATE INTO DISAPPEARANCES
15:43 30/01/2003

During January 29 PACE session there took place a working meeting between the
chairman of the special PACE commission on the political disappearances in Belarus
Sergei Kovalev with representatives of the official Belarusian delegation: "parliamentarians"
Leonid Glukhovsky and Andrei Losev. The meeting also attracted chairman of the
United Social-Democratic Party Valentina Polevikova and deputy UCP head Yaroslav
Romanchuk, as well as the PACE legal department's rapporteur Vatslav Stankevich.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/30/pace

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RTR CHANNEL GOES SWITCHED OFF IN REGIONAL BELARUS
15:40 30/01/2003, Andrei Aleksandrovich, BDG

Dozens of thousands Belarusian nationals will be deprived of an opportunity to
watch RTR channel starting from February 1. 7 transmitters in Braslav, Bragin,
Zhlobin, Zhitkovichi, Maisk, Slonim, Smorgon and Krichev  which used to broadcast
RTR programs earlier, will now televise regional TV instead. According to the
official version, this move is aimed not at blocking Russian media, but exclusively
at the development and promotion of country's regional television.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/30/tv

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BELARUSIANS ROBBED
15:02 30/01/2003

Today we are witnessing another great plundering of the nation. The root-cause
of the massive nation's impoverishment is Alexander Lukashenko's incompetent
governing. As any other official, who failed to carry out his duties, he has
to resign, said one of the organizers of the People's March "For Better Life!"
Dmitry Bondarenko.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/30/bondarenko

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PACE POINTS OUT FREEDOM OF MEDIA VIOLATIONS IN BELARUS
14:19 30/01/2003

Problems persist with media freedom across Europe and further serious violations
have taken place since 2001, the Parliamentary Assembly said today, adopting
a report by its General Rapporteur on the Media Tytti Isohookana-Asunmaa (Finland,
LDR). In a country-by-country analysis, the parliamentarians deplored:
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/30/press

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OPPOSITION PARTIES CLAIM INADMISSIBILITY OF "PARLIAMENT'S" RECOGNITION
14:11 30/01/2003

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
you may read the full text of the statement:
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/30/party

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HENRIK KRONER: BELARUS WILL NEVER BECOME EU MEMBER WITH LUKASHENKO AT HEAD
11:53 30/01/2003

Belarus has no chances of being a member of the united Europe with the current
regime, retaining grip on power, deems secretary general of the International
Association "European Movement" Henrik Kroner. "In order to turn into a EU member
you got to reform yourselves from the inside first. That refers to any other
country as well. You need to establish a reliable democratic system governed
by the rule of law. As concerns the economy, you need to have structure and forces
in order to be competitive enough at the free market. Belarus has absolutely
no chances to join EU with the present-day political regime,"  said Henrik Kroner
in an interview to "BDG".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/30/eu

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NOMINEES INTO LOCAL COUNCILS PRESSURED INTO WITHDRAWING THEIR CANDIDACIES
11:50 30/01/2003, Klara Shafarnyanskaya, RR

On January 29-30 there take place throughout the country the meetings of the
district electoral commissions for registering candidates for the deputies of
the local councils. They finish verification of documents, declarations and various
legal and bureaucratic formalities. The final outcomes of registration and full
lists of candidates will be made known by January 31 at the soonest. However,
from different corners of Belarus there emanate data about the exertion of moral
pressure on candidates by the local authorities and directors' of companies.
They don't scruple to use any means to achieve their goal
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/30/local

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US AMBASSADOR VISITS PAVEL MOZHEIKO IN INVOLUNTARY LABOR CAMP
11:48 30/01/2003, pahonia.promedia.by

The US ambassador Michael Kozak visited on Tuesday the condemned journalist Pavel
Mozheiko. Mr.Kozak met with the journalist on his way to Gomel. They met at 3p.m.
sharp at the power-saw bench "Babushkino" where the journalist is employed. The
American diplomat wanted to see the journalist's working conditions.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/01/30/posol
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
January 30, 2003
www.charter97.org