CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February 24, 2003
www.charter97.org
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90%
16:07 24/02/2003, "Belorusskaya Gazeta"

90% is an approximate share of income, which the Belarusian citizens must spend
on foodstuffs and public utilities. The Cabinet of Ministers ruled that the payment
for public utilities must not exceed one forth of the family's living budget.
According to statistics, the share of food expenditures in the Belarus retail
trade turnover, amounts to 64%. Therefore, Belarusians may spend only 10-11%
of incomes on the rest of the pleasures, which make life full.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/bg

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TOTAL RECALL
15:45 24/02/2003

Everyone realizes pretty well that Alexander Lukashenko intends to run for his
third consecutive term in office. Although he never declared his plans in open,
everyone knows exactly what he is up to.  The trade union boss Kozik recently
said that he is ready to nominate Lukashenko for five terms How about we recall
the president's pre-election promises, dating back to 1994, when he engaged in
his first presidential race.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/luka

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BELARUSIANS CAN'T AFFORD BASIC THINGS
12:09 24/02/2003

51% of Belarusian residents couldn't afford buying the most necessary foodstuffs
last year. The surveyed people said that in course of the poll, conducted on
January 20-30 by the sociological service of the Central committee of the Belarusian
Party of Communists. 4thsd respondents, aged 18 and over, answered the questionnaire.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/belarus

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CHRISTOPHER SMITH: LUKASHENKO'S DICTATORSHIP IS ONE OF EVILEST WORLDWIDE
12:06 24/02/2003

Radio Svaboda interviewed Christopher Smith  head of the US delegation in the
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, co-chairman of the US Congress' Helsinki Commission,
co-author of the "Act on democracy in Belarus 2003". Smith called the decision
to grant seats in OSCE PA to the "national assembly" unjustified.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/smith

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LUDMILA GRYAZNOVA: CORRUPTION CAN'T BE FOUGHT AGAINST BY REPRESSIONS ALONE
15:54 24/02/2003

On February 22 Kiev staged a founding conference of the East-European department
of the universal organization "Parliamentarians versus corruption". Belarus was
represented there by 13th Supreme Soviet deputy, Charter'97 human rights coordinator
Ludmila Gryaznova.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/griaznova

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VLADIMIR PUZYNYA: "SHAME ON OUR MEN"
15:49 24/02/2003, "Narodnaya Volya"

Recently prominent Belarusian women of art and culture declared their support
of the People's March "For Better Life!", scheduled for March 12. Among them
were artist Zinaida Bondarenko, filmmaker Tatiana Loginova, 13th Supreme Soviet
deputy Ludmila Gryaznova, wife of the missing businessman Irina Krasovskaya and
ZUBR activist Irina Tolstik. The females disagreed with the current state policy
and called on the nation to engage in the spring rally.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/vp

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GRODNO OPPOSITIONISTS CONCENTRATE ON FREEDOM DAY
15:47 24/02/2003

Representatives of public and political organizations of Grodno disseminated
an appeal in connection with the forthcoming street rallies in Minsk. The authors
of the appeal called on opposition representatives to give up an idea of holding
demonstrations in March and rather concentrate on preparing one massive action
instead.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/grodno

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"CIVIL INITIATIVES" UNDER THREAT OF CLOSURE
12:55 24/02/2003

Gomel region's largest public association "Civil initiatives" is on the verge
of shutdown, reads the statement, circulated by the organization among other
public associations of Belarus.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/gomel

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NO CHANGES AT HAND WITH LUKASHENKO AT HEAD SAYS HANS-GEORG WIECK
12:17 24/02/2003

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's decision to accept the "national assembly" of Belarus
as a full member of this organization, had been passed in hope for an adequate
feedback on part of the Belarusian authorities, which would "facilitate progress
in Belarus' meeting the OSCE democratic standards", BelaPAN quotes the former
head of the OSCE Advisory-Monitoring Group in Belarus Hans-Georg Wieck as saying.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/vick

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TOMORROW OR TODAY?
12:16 24/02/2003, Andrei Sannikov, Charter'97 international coordinator

Oftentimes we don't have enough power and dwell in too bad a mood to mend a sparkling
electric socket, leaking tap in the kitchen or put the book-shelf higher a bit,
so that we wouldn't hit it with our head every time. "I'll surely do that tomorrow"
we say. But tomorrow comes and we still are in no mood to do that. The things,
which have to be done, get accumulated, the socket no longer functions well,
the tap no longer opens and the shelf is turned upside down. All of a sudden
you come to a realization that your apartment is all mess and you badly need
good repair.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/sannikov

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ENERGY CONSUMPTION MAY COST ONE HIS POST
12:09 24/02/2003

At the recent meeting of the Ministry of agriculture and foodstuffs the most
acute issue in question was the fulfillment of current payments for energy resources
by the agricultural organizations.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/02/24/energy
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
February 24, 2003
www.charter97.org