CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March 07, 2003
www.charter97.org
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USA WAITS FOR CLARIFICATIONS FROM BELARUS
15:25 07/03/2003

USA calls on the Central Commission of the Republic of Belarus for elections
and national referenda with a plea to explain the motive behind the refusal to
accredit the US embassy officials as international observers at the March 2 local
elections. This inquiry was contained in the report of the deputy head of US
mission in OSCE Permanent Council Douglas Davidson. Read the full transcript
underneath:
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/07/usa

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SAVE OUR FOREST!
11:17 07/03/2003

We, the hereditary residents of the Belovezhskaya Puscha forest reserve, write
this letter to you in hope for the understanding and help of the state leader,
our countrymen and world community. Our land, which is the natural heritage of
mankind, is running a great danger. They continue to cut down timbre here against
law, transporting the wood outside of the park's terrain. Belovazhskaya Puscha
is speedily losing its original look. We see only one reason for that  personal
greediness and thirst for riches.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/07/pusha

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MINSK CITY COURT TURNS DOWN LEBEDKO'S LAWSUIT TO KGB
11:13 07/03/2003

Committee for civil cases of the Minsk city court declined to satisfy the appeal
of the United Civil Party leader Anatoly Lebedko over the illicit issue of official
reprimand on part of the Belarusian KGB.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/07/kgb

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NTV MINSK CORRESPONDENT PAVEL SELIN'S OPEN ADDRESS TO "SEVEN DAYS" WEEKLY
15:30 07/03/2003

Distinguished editor-in-chief of the informational-problematic bulletin "Seven
Days"!
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/07/ntv

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BAGHDAD TAKES INTEREST IN BELARUSIAN MACHINERY SUPPLIES
15:28 07/03/2003

The delegation from Baghdad, headed by the city's mayor Adan Abed Khamed, visited
on Thursday the Minsk car-building plant MAZ. "Mediafact" was told by the director
general of the Minsk company Valentin Gurinovich, that in course of their conversation
with the delegation members, the latter took great interest in the shipment of
Belarusian machinery to Iraq.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/07/baghdad

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AARON ROUDS: OSCE MISSION'S EXPULSION FROM BELARUS MAY REPEAT
13:10 07/03/2003

"The mission, which currently operates in Belarus, has a different mandate as
compared to the previous one. The situation here isn't as complicated as in,
say, Turkmenistan. But Belarus is a very isolated country too and OSCE should
contribute to installing democracy, human rights and civil society there. I don't
rule out the possibility that the OSCE mission can get expelled one more time.
That often happens to us. Take Chechnya for example. Where do we get trustworthy
information about Chechnya? From international missions in this republic. However,
the information, presented by Russian officials, in not always full. May be OSCE
mission's field work in Chechnya wasn't completely satisfactory, but it least
it enabled us to get data from there,"  said in an interview to the Russian
newspaper "Izvestia" executive director of the International Helsinki Federation
for human rights Aaron Rouds.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/07/osce

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PEOPLE'S MARCH ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
11:53 07/03/2003

Another session of the organizing committee of the People's March "For Better
Life!" was held on March 6 in Minsk. The event attracted Charter'97 coordinators
Andrei Sannikov, Ludmila Gryaznova, deputy BPF "Adradjenne" head Yuri Khodyko,
members of deputies' faction "Respublika" Valery Frolov and Vladimir Parfenovich,
businessman Leonid Malakhov, historian Valentin Golubev and others. The participants
discussed preparation to the action, which will start at 6p.m., March 12 from
the Yakub Kolas square in central Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/07/nm

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ZUBR ADDRESSES WORKERS
11:24 07/03/2003

Dozens of thousand newspapers were passed around by the ZUBR activists to the
workers of the Minsk leading plants. "ZUBR" newspaper's special issue, dedicated
to the People's March "For Better Life!", due to take place on March 12, was
delivered within a couple of days to most capital's workers. ZUBR activists visited
the Minsk car-building plant, Minsk plant of wheeled trailers, Minsk tractor
plant, Minsk motor-cycle plant and around ten minor ones. They handed out the
materials early in the morning before the start of the first shift, which enabled
them to avoid detentions. The passage of newspapers continues in the most lively
places of Minsk.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/07/zubr

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"RESPUBLIKA" MPS SET TO SOPHISTICATE ELECTORAL LAW
11:22 07/03/2003

Representatives of the deputies' faction "Respublika" intend to bring up for
consideration of the "parliament's" spring session the law "On sophistication
of the electoral system of the Republic of Belarus", said deputy Frolov at the
press-conference, hosted on March 6 in Minsk. The electoral amendments, proposed
by the faction, include introduction of the mixed majority-proportionate system
of voting, ban on the early voting and prohibition of the officials' prolongation
of office term.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/07/respublika

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BELARUS UPHOLDS LIFTING OF SANCTIONS FROM LIBYA
11:15 07/03/2003

Belarusian delegation, headed by the head of the "house of representatives" Vadim
Popov, paid an official visit to Libya. In the aftermath of their visit the delegates
spoke in favor of dropping charges against Libya and lifting the sanctions, imposed
on it. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry reports that the sides pointed out the
resemblance of their positions in many issues, including in the "condemnation
of international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations". Both countries
signed a memorandum on understanding between the parliaments of the two friendly
states.
http://www.charter97.org/eng/news/2003/03/07/libya
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CHARTER'97 BELARUS NEWS UPDATE
March 07, 2003
www.charter97.org