CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March 05, 2003
www.charter97.org
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BAGHDAD MAYOR: BELARUS, IRAQ BADLY NEED EACH OTHER
15:40 05/03/2003

The development of relations with Belarus is one of the top priority directions
of the Iraqi foreign policy, said the mayor of Baghdad Adnan Abed Khamed during
his March 5 meeting with the heads of the Minsk city hall. "Iraq openly and enthusiastically
treats its relations with Belarus. That decision belongs to Saddam and it's a
high-level decision,"  stated Khamed. He underscored that it is high time they
considered the issue of the Belarusian goods' promotion to Iraq. "You need us
and we need you badly too,"  stressed the Baghdad mayor.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/iraq

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BELARUSIAN BEER IS NOT FOR SALE
12:21 05/03/2003, Alexander Urban, Anatoly Temkin, Sergei Rybak, Delovaya Nedelya

The government of Belarus determined how it could help promote the national brewery
on foreign money, not losing control over the industry. They plan to attract
the credits of the foreign "Priorbank" instead of selling their companies to
the Russian "Baltika", "Ochakovo" and "Pivovarni Ivana Taranova". The administration
of the bank, which belongs to the Austrian Raiffeisenbank and the European Bank
for reconstruction and development, is utterly astonished by the news. According
to the Belarusian Association of brewers, last year Belarusians drank over 40mln
deciliters of beer, around 80% of beer was imported, mainly from Russia. Annually
the production of domestic beer in the country contracts by a third.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/beer

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NIKOLAI MARKEVICH GETS HIS TERM SOFTENED
11:04 05/03/2003

Editor-in-chief of the closed independent newspaper from Grodno "Pagonya" Nikolai
Markevich got his accusatory sentence changed. Now he's obliged to work in his
hometown Grodno and pay 15% of his salary to the state. "Pagonya" editor told
Radio Ratsya that he doesn't know yet what he'll be doing in Grodno, but added
that he'd like to work as a journalist someplace. As you know, Markevich had
been sentenced to 1,5 years of freedom restriction for alleged libeling Alexander
Lukashenko.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/markevich

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SWEDISH MP CALLS FOR RELEASE OF JOURNALISTS, FAIR ELECTIONS
15:56 05/03/2003

"Sentencing journalists to exiled labor is absurd," said MP Cecilia Wigström
of the Swedish Liberal Party after her five-day visit in Belarus.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/sweden

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RUSSIANS DENIED ACCESS TO BELARUSIAN LOCAL ELECTIONS
15:38 05/03/2003, Andrei Stepanov, Moskovskie Novosti

On March 2 Belarus hosted elections into the local councils and some naïve
Russian legislators decided that they were free to take part in this crucial
process in observers' capacity. But they were rudely mistaken. To the Russian
State Duma MP Vadim Bondar's inquiry, there came an official refusal from Central
Electoral Commission of Belarus. As a matter of fact, the brotherly state isn't
going to invite observers, for it doesn't feel like "going against the established
international practice", which envisages "observation over the local elections
in special cases of emergency situation in the country", while the "social-political
situation in Belarus is, on the contrary, peaceful and stable. There's absolutely
no racial, religious or national intolerance. The rights of the national minorities
are respected".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/russia

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POLISH EMBASSY INDIGNANT OVER POLICE ASSAULT AT THEIR DIPLOMAT
12:50 05/03/2003

The Polish embassy in Belarus refuted information, circulated by some Belarusian
media, according to which the first secretary of the Polish embassy Marek Butko
was driving in Minsk in a drunk state overnight March 1-2. It was reported in
the newspapers, in particular, that the diplomat provoked several dangerous situations
and had it not been for the traffic police intervention, nothing would spare
him a road accident.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/poland

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CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO PAY VISIT TO MINSK
12:45 05/03/2003

The forth session of the joint Belarusian-Cuban commission on trade-economic
cooperation ended in Havana. The sides considered, among other issues in question,
the course of preparations to the Cuban Foreign Minister's official visit to
Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/cuba

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SADDAM MUST LEAVE: OUT OF FREE WILL OR UNDER PRESSURE
12:43 05/03/2003, InoSMI.ru

The French newspaper "Le Monde" published in its March 4 issue an article under
heading "Saddam Must Leave: Out of Free Will or Under Pressure".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/monde

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EMPTY SAUCEPANS CONCERT IN MOGILEV
12:24 05/03/2003

On March 12 Mogilev will host an action within the framework of the People's
March "For Better Life!", said at the March 4 press-conference in Mogilev representatives
of ZUBR, UCP, BSDG, Free Trade Union and "Private Property". The journalists
were told that the action is motivated by the nation's impoverishment, price-growth
on basic commodity and services and sharp rise in the apartment rent. The action
will be held under social slogans.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/konzert

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EVGENY LOBANOVICH: I'LL SHOW UP AT PEOPLE'S MARCH IN COMPANY OF MY FAMILY, VOTERS,
TEAM
11:10 05/03/2003

"When I received phone calls from voters, who were indignant over my removal
from the race, I recommended them to engage in the People's March "For Better
Life!" on March 12 and by so doing express their protest to something that happened
to me. I will personally engage in the March and so will my family and election
crew,"  said in an interview to Charter's press-center one of the leaders of
the United Civil Party Evgeny Lobanovich. The politician enjoyed great advantage
over his contenders in the race, but was unlawfully denied the right to continue
competition.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/lobanovich

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ANATOLY LEBEDKO SUES KGB AGAIN
11:09 05/03/2003, UCP press-service

On Thursday, March 6, at 2p.m. the Minsk city court will host hearings on UCP
leader Anatoly Lebedko's appeal against the illicit KGB official reprimand.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/ucpb

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BAGHDAD MAYOR SENT TO MINSK BY SADDAM HIMSELF
11:07 05/03/2003

Baghdad mayor Adnan Abed Khamed arrived yesterday night to Minsk. In the airport
he said that his visit to Belarus was a personal order of Saddam Hussein. According
to Khamed, "that demonstrates the Iraqi leader's respect for the Belarusian nation.
The mayor underscored that Belarusian citizens support Baghdad and Iraq in this
"troublesome hour of an undeclared war".
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/05/baghdad

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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March 05, 2003
www.charter97.org