Vol. 2, No. 19

May 1999

IN THIS ISSUE:

FORMER INTERIOR MINISTER DISAPPEARED

General Yuri Zakharenko, the former Minister of Internal Affairs, disappeared on May 7. During an interview with Charter 97, his wife, Olga, commented as follows:

Olga Zakharenko: He phoned at around 9 p.m. and said that he wasn’t far and would be home shortly. Then, he disappeared. His cell phone got switched off. That same evening, I called the police. But they haven’t yet been able to find him.

Charter 97: What could have happened to him?

Olga Zakharenko: I’m not optimistic. I don’t have any hope that he is alive. I believe that he has been murdered and that his body will never found. That criminal Lukashenko hired someone to get rid of his irreconcilable opponent Zakharenko.

Charter 97: Did Yuri Nikolaevich [Zakharenko] foresee something like this?

Olga Zakharenko: For the last two weeks there were two cars that were always following him. Reliable people warned him that someone wanted to kill him and that he ought to be very careful. I also warned him. But he believed in the rule of law and would never agree that there was total lawlessness.

It should be mentioned that Zakharenko was removed from his position as Minister of Internal Affairs in 1996 for criticizing the policies of the president. He has been active in the electoral campaign of Mikhail Chigir and was the founder of the Belarusian Union of Officers. This winter, he addressed law enforcement officers with an appeal not to support President Lukashenko after July 20 when his presidency comes to an end. Just recently, criminal charges were brought against him for "intimidating militiamen." (Charter 97, May 10)

IT’S NOT OVER ‘TIL IT’S OVER

On May 3, Daniel Speckhard, U.S. Ambassador to Belarus, arrived in Minsk for the first time since a diplomatic row erupted last summer over the eviction of 20 foreign envoys from their official residencies in Drozdy. Amb. Speckhard, who has not officially resumed his duties, said he came to Belarus "to discuss the current political situation and to urge dialogue that would allow Belarus to move forward toward democracy and integration into the European family of democratic nations." (Agence France Presse, May 3)

At a briefing on May 4, Amb. Speckhard stressed that since the conflict around the Drozdy compound has not yet been settled, U.S. diplomatic sanctions remain in force. This means that Belarusian governmental officials are still barred from entering the U.S. Commenting on the opposition presidential elections, Amb. Speckhard said that the U.S. government regards them as an attempt to enhance the capacity of democratic institutions in the country and to initiate an active public discourse. Amb. Speckhard hopes that the Belarusian government will use this opportunity to establish a constructive dialogue with the opposition. Referring to July 20, the day when Lukashenko’s term in office expires, he said that "it is premature to forecast the reaction of the international community." Amb. Speckhard added that the United States does not object to the Belarusian and Russian plans to create a union, but felt that any integration process should be in line with democratic principles. (Interfax, Itar-Tass, May 3-6)

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MAY NOT RECOGNIZE OPPOSITION PRESIDENT

At an April 30 news conference, Victor Gonchar, chairman of the opposition Central Electoral Commission (CEC), referring to recent statements of some foreign officials, admitted that the president elected in Belarus on May 16 might not be recognized by the international community as the legitimate head of state. Still, according to Gonchar, nobody casts doubt on the legitimacy of the presidential election nor on the constitutional and legal aspects of the election process. Gonchar expressed confidence that if the elections succeed from a procedural point of view, it would serve as a "striking illustration of the illegitimacy of the regime," contribute to the formation of a different political situation, influence public opinion and "serve as a good starting point for holding another presidential election." (Belapan, April 30)

EU PLANS TO SEND PUBLIC OBSERVERS TO MONITOR OPPOSITION ELECTIONS

At a meeting with Belarusian opposition leaders on April 28 in Minsk, European Union (EU) representatives stated that since the Belarusian authorities have declared the forthcoming elections illegal, the EU will be unable to officially accredit its observers. They can, however, come to Belarus as public observers. (BBC, May 3)

CHIGIR’S WIFE: WE HAVE TO COMPLETE THIS JOURNEY

On May 3, in an interview with Hungarian Radio, Julia Chigir, Mikhail Chigir’s wife and manager of his presidential campaign, said that if a fair and democratic presidential election were held in the country her husband would certainly win. Answering the question "Is it worth holding presidential elections when one of the candidates is in prison and the other has been forced to emigrate to America?" Chigir replied that organizers "do have some doubts" because they are aware of the fact that the situation would be entirely different if the candidates were able to communicate personally with their electorate. As it now stands, they have no access to the state-controlled mass media. "However, we have to complete this journey, even though we do not know its outcome," she added. (BBC, May 3)

13^TH SUPREME SOVIET APPEALS TO VOTERS

On May 4, at an expanded session, the Presidium of the 13^th Supreme Soviet gave its consent to the decision of the opposition Central Electoral Commission to give voters in the opposition presidential elections an opportunity to cast their ballots at their places of residence. The Supreme Soviet also made an appeal to voters, pointing out that voting door-to-door was the only way to ensure people's constitutional right to elect their president in accordance with the Constitution. Early voting is allowed by law, but not earlier than 10 days before the election date. "Having arrested Mikhail Chigir and having failed to ensure Zyanon Paznyak's safe return to Belarus, the authorities have begun a fight with their own people, depriving them of their constitutional right to elect a state leader every five years," reads the statement. In the appeal, the Supreme Soviet leaders blame Lukashenko for failing to fulfil the promises he made during his election campaign, leading the country to international isolation and driving the people into poverty. The Supreme Soviet stressed that only the Belarusian people may decide their destiny and the destiny of their country, and the best way to do so is to vote in the elections. (Belapan, May 4)

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS STARTED

On May 6, early voting began in the opposition presidential elections. The 14,000 members of the local electoral commissions formed by the opposition CEC, will canvass apartments with voting boxes to let voters cast their ballots. According to Gonchar, 3.5 million citizens must take part in the elections for them to be considered valid. (Interfax, May 6)

OPPOSITION ELECTION PROGRESS: MORE THAN 2 MILLION PARTICIPATE

On May 10, the press center of the opposition CEC released a progress report on the presidential elections. Out of the total number of voters registered in Belarus (7,546,399 people), 10.2% voted in the Brest region, 21.9% – in the Vitebsk region, 16.4% -- in the Gomel region, 16,7% -- in the Grodno region, 16,1% -- in the Minsk region, 14,1% -- in the Mogilev region and 16,1% -- in Minsk. As of May 10, a total of 1,193,309 citizens of Belarus or 15.81% of registered voters had cast their votes; as of May 11, 2,400,949 people, or 31.82% of the eligible voting population, had participated in the opposition elections. (Charter 97, May 10, 11)

RETALIATION AGAINST ELECTION ACTIVISTS

On May 9, the police searched the office of the Mogilev Regional Electoral Commission without a warrant. The police were looking for papers concerning the presidential elections. Meanwhile, Anatoly Fedorov, the chairman of the Mogilev regional electoral commission was detained at the bus terminal and taken to the Leninsky District Court in Mogilev. After he had presented the judge with a range of complaints, the trial was postponed to a later date.

On May 8, a large group of election campaign activists were detained in Mogilev. Police confiscated 400 ballots and a ballot box from a member of a local Mogilev commission. A total of 3,650 ballots, 40 election posters, 6 ballot boxes, as well as 4800 invitations to participate in the polling were taken away from Sergei Nerovny, Sergei Borovikov, Gennady Rovkov and Tatyana Danilova, all members of the local electoral commission. Igor Hodko, Angela Bokoch and Mikhail Verbovsky were detained and their ballots and ballot boxes were confiscated from them.

On May 7, the police agents of the criminal investigation department attempted to detain Boris Gunter, the secretary of the opposition CEC, while he was conducting voting. The ostensible reason his detention was that he did not have identification papers with him. However, the efforts of the police were deterred from seizing Gunter by the presence of a large group of journalists.

Also on May 7 at 6.30 p.m., the traffic police detained Viktor Elfimov, the vice-chairman of the Gomel Electoral Commission. He was about to leave Minsk by car with 25,000 blank ballots for the presidential election. Elfimov was seen off to the police station, where police confiscated the ballots. Viktor Elfimov was then released. (Charter 97, May 10)

On May 5, police detained Vladimir Borodach, the deputy chief of Chigir's election campaign and confiscated 4,000 fliers supporting his presidency. According to Borodach, he noticed that someone had been following his car since early morning. A traffic police officer stopped him later and asked him to show what was in the trunk. The officer saw the leaflets and called several plain clothes officers, one of whom showed his KGB identification card. Borodach was taken to the police station, questioned and then later released. Apparently, police officers wanted to know where the leaflets had been printed. (Belapan, May 5)

Also on May 5, Anatoly Fedorov, deputy chairman of the opposition electoral commission in Mogilev, was detained by traffic police. Police confiscated 42 ballots which were in

Fedorov’s car. (Charter 97, May 6)

BPF LEADER HAS SOME DOUBTS

On May 6, Zyanon Paznyak sent a letter to all local branches of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF), expressing his doubts about the legitimacy of in-house voting. Paznyak believes that going from door to door diminishes the legitimacy of the presidential elections. He warned that if the opposition CEC does not change the voting process, he would cancel his participation. (Charter 97, May 7)

SVOBODNIE NOVOSTI APPEAL REJECTED

On May 7, the case of Svobodnie Novosti against the State Press Committee unexpectedly came to an end as the appeal was rejected. The warning issued on February 16 to the weekly newspaper for publication of opposition CEC documents remained in force. The appeal of five other independent newspapers, which were also warned, will be heard on May 13. (Charter 97, May 7)

5,000 RALLY ON LABOR DAY

About 5,000 people in Minsk took part in the traditional May 1 Labor Day demonstration organized by the city authorities in conjunction with the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus and some leftist parties and movements. Columns of workers and students from Minsk's nine districts were carrying posters saying, "We are For Integration with Russia," "Lenin is Our Banner, Power, and Weapon," and "Shame on Former Members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and All CIS Officials Who Took Part in NATO Festivities!" Some were carrying portraits of Lukashenko. The rally was expected to last an hour but lasted only about 20 minutes. By the time they reached Independence Square, were the rally took place, the ranks of marchers had thinned. Some demonstrators interviewed said that their enterprises and organizations had been given orders to dispatch a certain number of employees to the demonstration. A few hundred demonstrators joined an alternative march organized by Narodnaya Hramada, the Belarusian Social Democratic Party. (Belapan, May 1)

POLICE DETAINS ORGANIZERS OF ALTERNATIVE LABOR DAY MARCH

The alternative Labor Day demonstration, staged by Narodnaya Hramada, resulted in arrests. About 300 members of Narodnaya Hramada, Maladaya Hramada, the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, the Free Union of Steel Workers, and the Belarusian Free Trade Union marched to Independence Square separately from the official demonstration. They demanded that the government release political prisoners, including Mikhail Chigir, and expressed protest against Belarus’s involvement in the Yugoslav crisis. After the demonstration, nineteen marchers were arrested by police, taken to a local police station, and detained for over five hours. They were all charged with taking part in an unsanctioned protest. Eleven of them received summons to appear in the Moskovsky District Court for trial. Nikolai Statkevich, the chairman of Narodnaya Hramada, was charged with organizing an unsanctioned demonstration, although on May 5 a judge of the Moskovsky district court in Minsk dismissed the charge. (Belapan, May 5)

INDEPENDENT MINERS UNION LEADERS ARRESTED

The Belarusian Independent Union of Miners (BIUM) was prevented from staging a Labor Day demonstration in Minsk, Narodnaya Hramada reported. On the morning of May 1, on their way from Soligorsk to Minsk, BIUM members were arrested by police in Slutsk (Minsk region) and held until 1 p.m. The detainees included Victor Babayed, president of the Belarusian Confederation of Democratic Trade Unions, and Alexander Koroliov, a member of Narodnaya Hramada. Nikolai Zemin, also a member of Narodnaya Hramada, was arrested separately and fined. (Belapan, May 2)

LABOR DAY DEMONSTRATORS IN GOMEL CRITICIZE AUTHORITIES

On May 1, about 4,000 people took part in the Labor Day rally in Gomel. Demonstrators criticized the government for its failure to improve workers' social status. Anatoly Kabanets, the leader of the Gomel Regional Trade Union Association, stated that over 100,000 workers have had their wages and salaries delayed and the wage debts of enterprises total 102 billion BR. The trade union leader called on co-workers to show "solidarity in defending the right to work." (Belapan, May 1)

VICTORY DAY CELEBRATIONS IN MINSK
Some 5,000 veterans gathered in Minsk on May 9 for a march and military parade to celebrate Victory Day, AP reported. Some 2,000 people rallied at the Yama memorial built in the former Minsk ghetto to commemorate Jewish victims of World War II in Belarus. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko addressed the veterans, condemning the "hegemonic plans" of the United States which, in his opinion, is trying to impose its rule on the world, Interfax reported. He denounced NATO's strikes in Yugoslavia, saying that this Balkan country is defending "not only itself, but other countries as well." He also expressed his confidence that Belarus will enter the 21st century "strongly united" with Russia. "Our army has the appropriate strength for the NATO aggressor to quickly loose the desire to dictate conditions," Polish Television quoted Lukashenka as saying to the veterans. (RFE/RL, May 10).

JAILED AGRICULTURE MINISTER GOES ON HUNGER STRIKE

Vasily Leonov, the former Minister of Agriculture, has been on hunger strike since April 25, his attorney Olga Zudova told reporters on May 5. The jailed minister demands proper medical treatment since his health has deteriorated significantly while in jail. Leonov is suffering from heart problems and increased blood pressure. He was arrested and charged with embezzlement and abuse of power. Later, investigators added corruption to the list of charges, saying Leonov had received a bribe from Vasily Starovoitov, ex-director of the Rassvet Collective Farm. The case of Starovoitov has been transferred to the Supreme Court. The date of the hearings and name of the judge have not yet been released. (Radio 101.2, May 5)

MINSK VENDORS PROTEST GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN ON PRIVATE TRADE
On May 5, some 2,000 private vendors began a two-day sit-in strike at the Minsk Dynama market to protest the crackdown by the police and tax inspectors on small business in Belarus, Belapan and AP reported. According to the protesters, Lukashenko's decrees on "protecting the consumer market" and on "regulating economic relations" are being used by the authorities to confiscate goods without certificates of quality from private traders. Often these goods are subsequently sold in state-run shops in an attempt to replenish the state budget. Lukashenko's regulations allow the state-run shops to sell confiscated goods without the certificates of quality that are required from vendors at city markets. "The situation of traders at city markets is on the verge of an explosion," the protesters said in a letter to the government. (RFE/RL, May 6)

DEPUTY OF 13^TH SUPREME SOVIET SENTENCED

On May 5, Valery Shchukin, a deputy of the 13^th Supreme Soviet, was sentenced to 5 days of jail for participating in an unsanctioned anti-nuclear march. He was found guilty of violating the public order. (Charter 97, May 7)

HUNTING SEASON ON POLES?

At a press conference on May 6, Tadeusz Gavin, chairman of the Association of Belarusian Poles (ABP), said that the ABP decided to withdraw from the Coordinating Council for National Communities. In Gavin’s opinion, the authorities have opened a "hunting season on Poles." Searches, fines, and threats to close the ABP have become common practice. The Belarusian Committee on Religion and National Minorities have demanded that the authorities suspend the ABP’s activities. (Charter 97, May 6)

PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE RESPONDS TO ANTI-SEMITISM IN MEDIA

On May 3, the Belarusian Prosecutor-General's Office replied to an appeal by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) made in connection with anti-Semitic publications in the media. On March 17, the BHC requested that the Prosecutor-General's Office investigate several anti-Semitic statements published in a few state newspapers and aired on state television. The BHC believes that "there was intentional incitement of ethnic hostility for political reasons." The prosecutor replied that the investigation of the cases confirmed that a number of state mass media facilitate the formation of an unfriendly attitude toward Jews, which may provoke religious or racial intolerance and hostility. The Prosecutor-General's Office admitted that such actions "do not comply with the Law on the Press", and reported that Mikhail Podgainy, the chairman of the State Press Committee, was advised to intensify control over the media. (Belapan, May 3)

CUBAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST DENIED ENTRY

The Belarusian authorities have denied entry to Ernesto Diaz, a prominent Cuban human rights activist, despite an existing agreement on visa-free travel between Belarus and Cuba. Diaz arrived in Belarus late April to take part in an international conference. He was stopped at the airport and held there for about a day. Later, he was informed that Ural Latypov, the Belarusian Foreign Minister, ordered the border guards not to let him in without an entry visa. Diaz, who spent more than 20 years in prison for his anticommunist views, was deported to Warsaw, where he finally got a visa at the Belarusian embassy. The Cuban dissident told reporters that when he reminded Belarusian border guards about the agreement on visa-free travel between the two countries, they replied that they had ultimate discretion over whom to admit. Officials at the Belarusian Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the incident. (Belapan, May 4)

POLAND PLANS FOR BELARUSIAN RADIO SERVICE

On April 25, Belarusian Television reported that "a radio station, funded by the European Union and the USA, is being set up in Poland to broadcast not only anti-Belarusian, but also anti-Russian propaganda." According to Belarusian Television "it is being established to provoke and consolidate separatist sentiments in the western regions of Belarus. The Polish Council for Radio and Television has already issued a broadcasting license for the station, which will be situated in Bialystok, Poland..." (BBC, May 7)

PARLIAMENT ISSUES STATEMENT ON NATO ACTION IN YUGOSLAVIA

On April 28, the Belarusian National Assembly issued a statement in connection with "NATO's aggression in Yugoslavia." "NATO's actions against Yugoslavia violate numerous international conventions, treaties, and declarations, which have been adopted over the past 50 years. Further escalation of the Alliance's aggression will inevitably lead to the start of a world war and will raise the issue of mankind's existence as a whole. We demand that the pointless aggression be stopped and the violations of international law by NATO come to an end," reads the statement. (BBC, May 1)

…AND BACKS YUGOSLAVIA’S ACCESSION TO UNION WITH RUSSIA

On May 6, the House of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly, supported the April 12 resolution of the Yugoslavian Parliament to join the Russia-Belarus Union. The matter will now be submitted by Belarus at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Russia-Belarus Union. (ITAR-TASS, May 5)

THIS IS MY PAST WHICH I SHALL NOT DISCARD

On May 6, Alexander Lukashenko sent a telegram to Lithuanian President Valdis Adamkus, requesting that Mykolas Burokyavichus, the leader of the Lithuanian communists imprisoned in Vilnius for his involvement in the 1991 TV Center violence in Vilnius, be sent to Belarus for medical treatment. "According to available information, the health of Mykolas Burokyavichus, illegally kidnapped in Belarus by the Lithuanian secret forces five years ago, has sharply deteriorated. We are aware that he needs urgent heart surgery, which might be performed in Minsk. He is a man for whom Belarus bears a certain moral responsibility," the telegram said. Lukashenko offered his guarantee that Burokyavichus would return to Lithuania as soon as he recovers. (Itar-Tass, May 6)

BELARUSIAN MERCENARIES CAPTURED?

Belarusian mercenaries, fighting on the side of Milosevic, have reportedly been taken hostage in Yugoslavia. As reported on May 7 by the independent newspaper "Naviny" (with references to the Ukrainian UNIAN Agency and the newspaper "Ash-Shark Al-Ausat"), the insurgents of the Kosovo Liberation Army have recently captured over 20 "wild geese" from Russia and Belarus. Among those allegedly captured were a couple of former army officers. All of them were said to be transmitted to NATO military units. The story has not been confirmed by NATO. (Charter 97, May 8)

LUKASHENKO SUGGESTS RENAMING SKARYNA AVENUE IN MINSK

On May 6, the Secretariat of the Belarusian Language Association (BLA) made the following statement: "We should keep Francisk Skaryna Avenue in the center of our old capital… In his speech Belarusian president proposed renaming the main avenue in the capital of our state thus attempting to ignore the memory of the Belarusian thinker and pioneer of printing. The BLA Secretariat reminds you that the main street in our capital received its name in honor of Skaryna’s 500th anniversary and therefore any attempts to remove the name of the author of the first Belarusian Bible from the capital’s street is nothing other than an assault against Belarusian national property… We urge all nationally conscious citizens of Belarus to stand up for the name of the avenue which promotes the prestige of Belarus worldwide." (Charter 97, May 7)