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19 March President Elections result
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22/03/2006
As was expected, Lukashenko's regime has declared stunning result of elections: almost 93 percent of voters have taken part, from which 84 percent said have voted for Lukashenko, 6 percent - for United candidate Milinkevich, some percent received by other candidates. Making comments on such result, independent voices remind, that similar occurred only during elections of times of Stalin, Hussein and Milosevic. To a word, official figures cardinally differ from independent poll, including exit poll.
The United States of America and the European Union have not recognized the result of elections in Belarus. For manipulations and falsifications on elections, and also human rights abuse introduction of sanctions against the rullers of the country is expected in the near future.
The only world leader to queue to send congratulations to Lukashenko on victory became Vladimir Putin, the Russian president.
Despite of all attempts of regime to stop a mass movement (hundreds people were arrested) thousand people gathered on the October square of Minsk to express their civic stand. The next days the youth also organized actions in the center of Minsk, which were very positively met by famous Belarus' citizens. This protest activity, perhaps, is the brightest event of last time in Belarus.
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President elections to be held on March 19, 2006
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29/12/2005
Regime recently announced that President elections to
be held on March 19, 2006 – one of the earliest
possible dates thought. President Alexander Lukashenka
has concentrated all power in his hands, while United
Candidate from opposition Alexander Milinkevich does
not loose optimism saying: “victory will be ours and
it is good that it will be before summer.”
Most of Belarus’ independent politicians express
consolidated view on these elections.
While many are concerned with inevitable complexities
caused by so early date of elections, derived
international attention to the Parliamentary elections
in neighbouring Ukraine held at approximately the same
time and recently adopted relevant changes to criminal
legislation against opposition; the majority of politicians
see the opportunity for success and are considering elections as a base for wide public campaign. .
Leader of Social-Democratic party Alexander Kazulin
said: “Lukashenka is using the situation. The campaign
now is to take place during winter holidays that is to
limit capability of opposition to make any substantial
progress. …There is a great doubt in support of Lukashenko in society. This clear and accented explains all (Lukashenko's) actions.”
Viktar Karnyaenka speaking on behalf of the
headquarter of United Candidate Alexander Milinkevich
said: “This early elections date did not cardinally
change our preparation plan. Our representatives have begun work.”
United Candidate Alexander Milinkevich states position
in occasion of the created situation: “This
step with early election date did not cause us
serious problems because rumours about this were
circulating here and there. This step shows that the
regime has very serious worries. People should see this.
… We have more than 100 branches around the country.
Tere will be no big changes. Now we simply have to
visit 2 districts a day instead of one. Now we just
have to work with much higher intensity, but the
strategy remains the same: the main – is a way from
the heart to the heart. If we did not believe in
victory, we would not participate.”
Recently has become known that Alexander Milinkevich
has submitted to the Central Election Commission
documents to register his initiative groupin which it is totaled more than 5 thousand citizens for participation in Presidential elections 2006. This entire group has been registered successfully.
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New target – Union of Poles of Belarus
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11/07/2005
Tough times have come for 500 thousands Polish minority in Belarus. In addition to the banning of the cultural events, introduction of law that may allow the closure of the Union of Poles branches; lives and of some UPB leaders are at risk.
On the 20-th day of June Jusefa Varaksa, a chairwoman of Rakow local branch of UPB, was brutally murdered. Days before the murder the state-controlled TV was telling of millions of dollars from abroad sent the Union of Poles of Belarus; and there are speculations that the story had made Varaksa a target for criminals attempting to find those funds, which the UPB denied ever existed. A colleague of Varaksa, chairwoman of Hrodna local branch of UPB, Alina Yaroshevich, disappeared without a trace. And only recently it was established that she was held in the psychiatric clinic – as a result of unexpected police raids and night questionings she had a nerve breakdown.
Many of the above events were connected with the events of the Congress of UPB where Andzelika Borys (31 years old teacher) replaced Tadeusz Kruczkowski (a loyal to the dictator chairman who cut many of the Union’s activities and seriously disabled the Union by financially ruining it). This caused Lukashenka visible anger: Belarus’s Ministry of Justice said that the Congress was not properly held and its results to be void. Tadeusz Kruczkowski was again set as a chairman and ruthlessly criticized Andzelika Borys on the state controlled TV. Soon after a state print house turned out a bogus issues of "Glos znad Niemna," that represented Lukashenka’s view on the events inside UPB.
From that time Angelika Borys and her fellow are being persecuted. She says “many of the leading representatives of the Union live in permanent fear. They to the day are withstanding attempts by the agents of KGB (Committee of State Security) to make them be informators… For 3 weeks the state controlled TV shows the programs incriminating Poles absurd charges of preparation to revolution in Belarus.”
Lukashenko also attacked Polish diplomats in Minsk. An attaché of the Polish Embassy was sent off the country, being accused on the TV in preparations for destabilizing of situation and change of the regime using 25 thousands members of the Union of Poles of Belarus.
To this official Warsaw sent off one Belarusian diplomat and reminded by the words of the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Adam Rotfeld speaking at the Council of Europe summit that adequate measures to be introduce against those persecuting the Polish minority in Belarus.
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Legendary Pope John Paul II died
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03/04/2005
On the 2-nd day of April Pope passed away. Thousands of people
gathered in St. Peters square to prey near Pontific during last
minutes of his life, many millions more were preying in churches
around the wold for the loved Pope of tremendous strength and courage.
During his 26 years in Vatican, Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla)
forever entered the hearts and minds of a great number of people as a
spiritual leader, which made possible great changes in the world; the
believer, which made his life a celebration of Christianity and
bought faith in almost every corner of the world; church leader, which
used his power to bring people together to peace, understanding and
human rights respect.
Being Born in Wadowice (a town town of 8,000 Catholics and 2,000 Jews
35 miles southwest of Krakow, not far from the Belarusian border) in a
middle class family, in childhood he experienced early loss of mother
and brother. Later during the World War II some his friends Jews
were killed by nazi, even though he was trying to save them. After the
was fascism was replaced by stalinism. That time Karol Wojtyla was a
sportsman, actor and public figure. He joined Cardinal Sophia in
preparation to a Church mission.
After just 21 years of priesthood Karol become a Cardinal. He focused his
activity on supporting resistance to communism, which aimed to destroy
religions at all. Karol Wojtyla succeeded: he told people not to be afraid and
people believed him. Many people were inspired by him and fought
against the oppression.
Karol Wojtyla had become known in the mid-sixties for his strength and
intellect. After the death of John Paul I (who was on the position for
only 33 days) Karol was elected as the fist non-Italian Pope and took
the name John Paul II in the honor of his predecessor. John Paul II was a person of a great personal charm, charisma and ability to project himself, which became very important in the era of growing mass media.
All his life he stood for Christian ideals - took active part in
Liberation of Eastern Europe from communism; fought the world poverty,
achieved a cessation of the debt of the poorest countries; and always
uncompromisingly stood for the peace. And all that time John Paul II
led the Church through the difficult time of global changes and
unavoidable conflicts keeping Roman Catholicism popular.
He died in a peace and with a smile, as and his friend Mother Theresa.
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Mikhail Marinich sentenced to 5 years in jail
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09/01/2005
After being unfairly convicted for non-existed crimes and sentenced to 5 years in prison, a former ambassador, a person who have done a lot for his country Mikhail Marinich explained to the press the Principle of Stalin used by the Belarusian court: “Give us a man, and the charges would be found.”
Mikhail Marinich (former Ambassador, Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Member of Parliament) was kept in the pretrial detention centre of KGB (State Security Committee) for 7 month. Marinich was accused in the “illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives” (Marinich’s defense managed to prove that a pistol found in his summer cottage was no connected with him) and “stealing through the abuse of power by an organized group or at a large scale” computers belonging to the US Embassy (Ambassador George Croll and US Department of State stated that they had no claims to Marinich regarding the donated computers). The court also refused granting remission of penalty because of illness.
The courthouse was surrounded by extremely rude police forces. Only family members and of the accused, members of the diplomatic corps (including the Ambassador of Italy, which represented the European Union) and several journalists were allowed to the court room to witness “absolutely groundless” accusations.
Mikhail Marinich had been well known as one of the leaders of the Belarusian opposition and famous public figure. He worked actively under installments of a civil society, for developing Belarus along the European line. He also was going to put his candidacy in the next president elections.
From the US the Department of the State to the Parliament of Georgia, from the civil initiative “We Remember” to simple citizens, the Belarusian and Word community express their deep concern and regret for infringement of Marinich’s legal and human right; call for his release.
The case of Mikhail Marinich is an obvious demonstration of methods used by Belarus’s regime to take out of way its democratic opponents.
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Dzmitry Bandarenka: "Entire World Saw Protest Of Belarusians"
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20/10/2004
Coordinator of the European coalition “Free Belarus”, coordinator of the civil initiative Charter’97 Dzmitry Bandarenka comments on yesterday protest action in Minsk: “People all over the world always react to the results of the elections and go to the streets. Somebody expresses joy, somebody protests. In Belarus everybody saw the protest, but despite of the “superb” figures for Lukashenka, no spontaneous meetings occurred, where people would rejoice over the “victory” of the dictator. By the way, there where no demonstration or meeting in support of the Belarusian ruler organized by the authorities. Maybe, they remember the Romanian variant, when people who were herded to the meeting in support of Nicolae Ceaucescu people suddenly became a core of people’s revolution.
More than 5,000 of protesters, who came to the October Square in Minsk, did not look like losers, and people all over the world saw this.
Party leaders, except the chairman of the Social Democratic party, Mikola Statkevich, showed their complete inability to organize and head a real protest to the rigged elections and referendum. They have made nothing except harsh statements at press-conferences. Spineless, or even cowardly line of the leaders of the Five Plus on the eve and during the October 18, is surprising. At the same time it is a joyful fact that the Zubr and Young Front leaders has become real national leaders.
It is absolutely clear that in the near future we are to get message across to the majority of Belarusian citizens about the real results of referendum and elections, about the results of the exit polls of the Gallup institute and other independent services, about the assessment of the voting by observers of the OSCE and other reputable organizations. Undoubtedly, we should prepare joint protests together will all “lively” forces of democratic structures”.
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