HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED?

Minsk is full of rumors that the authorities have deliberately understated the number of victims of the stampede on May 30. Independent newspapers collected accounts of anonymous doctors and policemen reporting higher numbers of victims. According to different sources, the number of victims fluctuates between 80 and 100 people. There is information about two 10-year olds killed in the stampede. According to data released by the Belarusian Ministry of Health, 410 people contacted Minsk hospitals after the tragedy, 121 people were hospitalized, and 5 of them remain in critical condition. (Charter 97, June 7)

INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION PROHIBITED

On June 5, in an interview with Sovetskaya Belarusiya, Aleksey Taranov, deputy prosecutor general, said that "attempts by opposition activists to conduct their own investigation contradict the law and will be prosecuted…In this country everybody is expected to observe the law, and the Prosecutor’s Office has issued warnings about criminal liability for the misappropriation of the authority of the official investigation group," he added. The Independent Public Commission to investigate the tragedy, set up by opposition, has already faced difficulties. After the independent media published its contact telephone number, someone tore down their telephone wires. Members of the commission plan to draft an expert resolution and legal assessment of the activities of the authorities, police and organizers of the festival. (Charter 97, June 7)

RAIN TO BLAME

On June 9, General Tarletsky, head of the Minsk Police Department, announced that the main causes of the stampede were a sudden change in the weather conditions, people's inadequate reaction to victims' cries and policemen's commands, and the population’s general lack of preparedness for emergency situations. "I don't free myself from responsibility, especially moral responsibility. But, neither my department nor I should bear the responsibility for that tragic event." (Charter 97, June 11)

CONSTITUTIONAL IMPASSE CONTINUES IN BELARUS

On May 25, Congressman Christopher H. Smith, co-chair of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, drew the attention of his colleagues to the recent developments in Belarus, pointing out that "a constitutional impasse continues." In particular, he said:

"Mr. Speaker, on May 16, the alternative Presidential election concluded in Belarus within the time frame envisioned by the legitimate 1994 Constitution. While the opposition Central Election Commission (CEC) concluded that the final results of the voting were invalid because of various violations derived from the impediments placed by Belarusian authorities, the ballot served as an important barometer of democratic engagement by the citizens of Belarus. In the months leading up to the election, President Alexander Lukashenko imprisoned former prime minister Mikhail Chigir, one of the two presidential candidates, on what were clearly politically motivated charges, arrested hundreds of election officials and volunteers, and instituted administrative proceedings against others. Nevertheless, the authorities were unable to thwart the election in at least one critically important respect -- according to the opposition CEC, the voting itself was valid because more than half (53 percent) of the electorate participated. When one considers that these were unsanctioned elections that challenged Lukashenko's legitimacy, this is a substantial number of people.

"No matter what the imperfections, Mr. Speaker, the opposition's electoral initiative should send a powerful message to Lukashenko. Clearly, an appreciable number of Belarusian citizens are dissatisfied with the profoundly negative political and socio-economic fallout stemming from his dictatorial inclinations and misguided nostalgia for the Soviet past or some misty "Slavic Union." The vote highlights the constitutional and political impasse created by Lukashenko's illegitimate 1996 constitutional referendum, in which he extended his personal power, disbanded the duly elected 13^th Supreme Soviet, and created a new legislature and constitutional court subservient to him.

"Last month, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission), which I chair, held a hearing on the situation in Belarus, with a view toward promoting human rights and democracy there. Testimony from the State Department, OSCE mission in Belarus, the Belarusian democratic opposition and several human rights NGOs all reaffirmed that Belarus is missing out on what one witness characterized as "the great market democratic revolution that is sweeping Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia" because of Lukashenko's power grab and backsliding on human rights and democracy.

"Despite repeated calls from the international community, including the Helsinki Commission, for Lukashenko to cease harassment of the opposition, NGOs and the independent media, to allow the opposition access to the electronic media, to create the conditions for free and fair elections and to strengthen the rule of law, we have failed to see progress in these areas. Indeed, we see more evidence of reversals. Earlier this year, for example, Lukashenko signed a decree which introduces extensive restrictions on non-governmental activity and mandates re-registration by July 1 of political parties, NGOs and trade unions. The decree, which among other onerous stipulations requires that organizations acknowledge the results of Lukashenko's illegitimate 1996 referendum, is clearly designed to destroy democratic civil society in Belarus and further consolidate Lukashenko's repressive rule. Moreover, within the last few months, several disturbing incidents have occurred, among them the March arrests of Viktor Gonchar, chairman of the opposition CEC, the Chigir imprisonment, as well as the mysterious disappearances of Tamara Vinikova, former chairperson of the National Bank of Belarus and, on May 10, of Gen. Yuri Zakharenko, former minister of internal affairs and a leading opponent of Lukashenko. Just a few days ago, Lukashenko's government announced that no more foreign priests will be allowed to serve in Belarus, making it extremely difficult for the Roman Catholic Church, which is rebuilding following the travails of the Soviet era, to function.

"Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge the Belarusian Government to comply with its freely undertaken commitments under the Helsinki Final Act and subsequent OSCE agreements and to immediately, without preconditions, convene a genuine dialogue with the country's democratic forces and with the long-suffering Belarusian people." (Congressional Record, May 25)

COUNCIL OF EUROPE MAKES STATEMENT ON BELARUS

On June 9, the Council of Europe issued a statement on the situation in Belarus. The full text of the statement follows:

"The chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, president of the Parliamentary Assembly and secretary general take note of the recent electoral events in Belarus and support the OSCE assessment of the local elections in April and the EU and OSCE declarations on the electoral consultation in May. They call upon the Belarusian Government to release former prime minister and opposition candidate Mikhail Chigir, whose detention runs contrary to the principles shared by member-states of the Council of Europe.

"The chairman of the Committee of Ministers, president of the Parliamentary Assembly and secretary general reiterate their strong view that the political parties and personalities in Belarus should have the unimpeded possibility to bring their message to the voters. The people of Belarus should be free to choose its representatives in a genuinely free and fair election.

"The political parties and candidates must have the opportunity, including the financial means, to organize a meaningful electoral campaign. They must have sufficient, free and equitable access to print and electronic media, including to those sponsored by the State, so as to present their views on the present and future of the country. More importantly, it is not for the incumbent government to judge and react to such views in administrative ways. This is the exclusive right of the Belarusian people and the verdict is given exclusively through the ballot box.

"The people, the civil society in Belarus, must be free to assemble and discuss, to associate and freely express their views on political issues without undue interference by the State.

"As in all democratic countries, the political parties must have the leading role in proposing candidates for elected office. The labor collectives, which are necessarily subject to industrial discipline and where careers can be seen to depend on the management, do not have a role in the electoral process. Moreover, an end must be put to the clearly undemocratic practice of amalgamating administrative sanctions with a prohibition to run in elections.

"The electoral committees of all levels must be composed in a way accepted as fair by all political forces participating in the elections. Domestic and international observation, under satisfactory rules, should contribute to the transparency and legitimacy of the whole process.

"The chairman of the Committee of Ministers, president of the Parliamentary Assembly and secretary general call upon all political forces in Belarus to accept the challenge of free and fair elections and to engage in a constructive dialogue with a view to make such elections a reality in Belarus.

"In conformity with the Vienna Declaration adopted at the 1st summit of the Council of Europe, the chairman of the Committee of Ministers, president of the Parliamentary Assembly and secretary general emphasize that internationally observed and accepted free and fair elections will be the first step towards Belarus’ rebuilding relations with the Council of Europe." (Radio 101.2, June 9)

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY REFUSES TO MEET OSCE OFFICIALS IN BUCHAREST

The Belarusian National Assembly, President Lukashenko’s hand-picked parliament, has refused to take part in the informal meeting organized by OSCE officials to facilitate dialogue between representatives of the Belarusian government, opposition and NGOs. The meeting was planned for June 11 to June 14 in Bucharest. According to a statement issued by the Council of the House of Representatives on June 8, "invitations to the meeting were extended only to a certain members of some organizations and institutions, not to official delegations…The House of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly is ready to meet with OSCE officials and opposition leaders, but the meeting should take place in Minsk." (Belapan, June 10)

On June 9, President Lukashenko said that "Belarus is ready for dialogue with the OSCE and other European bodies on principles of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs." (Interfax, June 9)

WHILE OPPOSITION HEADS FOR TALKS

On June 9, delegation members from the opposition and from NGOs said that, "We’ll go to Bucharest to pay a tribute of respect to such an authoritative organization as OSCE following personal invitations by Mr. Wieck and Mr. Severin," indicating the head of the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group in Minsk, and a Parliamentary Assembly official, respectively.

"We are ready for a dialogue with the government, but refusals by most officials reveal the real attitude of Lukashenko to possible talks with the opposition and the OSCE," commented the participants of the consultations. Among them were Tatyana Protko (Belarusian Helsinki Committee), Mikhail Sosnov (National Executive Committee), Anatoly Lebedko (Untied Civil Party), Dmitry Bondarenko (Charter’97), Sergei Kalyakin (Party of Belarusian Communists), Levon Borshchevsky (Belarusian Popular Front) and others. (Charter 97, June 10)

ARTICLE 19 CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE CLOSURE OF NAVINY

Article 19, a London-based organization monitoring press freedom, sent an open letter to President Lukashenko to express extreme concern about the possible closure of the Naviny independent newspaper. "The provision which was used to warn Naviny is one of a number of legal provisions which contravene Belarus's obligations under international law," believes Andrew Puddephatt, executive director of Article 19. "It is well established that the right to freedom of expression includes the freedom to criticize public officials. The European Court of Human Rights has recently stated that the police, although they should not be required to tolerate the same degree of criticism as politicians, must nevertheless tolerate more criticism than private individuals. The warning appears to be an attempt taken by the Belarusian authorities to stifle opposition voices and to continue to suppress independent media," reads the letter. (Belapan, June 8)

YOUTH FRONT ACTIVIST SENTENCED

On June 10, Yevgeny Skochko, an activist of the Malady Front, received a one year suspended sentence. Judge Vladimir Komisarov found Skochko guilty of violating article 186, paragraph 3 of the Belarusian Criminal Code [organization or active participation in mass actions violating the public order] for organizing and coordinating an unauthorized rally held on February 14 in Minsk. His attorneys filed an appeal to the Belarusian Supreme Court. (Charter 97, June 11)

SUPREME COURT RULES ON MIKOLUTSKI CASE

On June 11, the Belarusian Supreme Court announced its ruling in the case of the assassination of Yevgeny Mikolutsky, President Lukashenko’s personal friend and ex-chairman of the State Control Committee for the Mogilev region, who was killed in a terrorist attack last year. Victor Yanchevsky, 37, was found guilty on several counts, including "organizing a bandit gang and plotting a terrorist act," and sentenced to 11 years in prison with confiscation of property. Anatoly Gavrilov, 22, was sentenced to 5 years without confiscation. Roman Radikovsky, 28, was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment, but his sentence was waived because of his work at the Chernobyl reactor. He was released from the court room. The ruling of the Supreme Court is final, and cannot be appealed. (Radio 101.2, June 11)

BELARUSIANS STAGE PROTESTS IN DENMARK

From June 4 to June 6, members of the Belarusian Hramadzianski Forum and Malady Front with the assistance of the European Young Conservatives held a number of pickets in Denmark protesting against Lukashenko’s regime. The objective of the protests in Denmark was to inform the international community about the social and political situation in Belarus.

(Belapan, June 8)

KOUDINOV CELEBRATES 40^TH BIRTHDAY IN JAIL
Vladimir Koudinov, a deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet, currently in jail for political reasons, celebrated his 40th birthday on June 11. There was a picket in Minsk dedicated to his birthday. It was organized jointly by Charter’97 and the United Civil Party. Koudinov’s wife and children, as well as deputies of the 13^th Supreme Soviet, politicians and human rights defenders attended the event. (Charter 97, June 11)

COURT RULES AGAINST ASSOCIATION OF BELARUSIAN POLES

The Novogrudok District Court dismissed a suit filed by the Association of Belarusian Poles (ABP) against the local government, which objects to the offering of classes with instruction in Polish and the building of a Polish-language school in the town. ABP Chairman Tadeusz Gavin plans to appeal the decision in the Grodno Regional Court. (Belapan, June 9)

SUMMER VACATION FOR CHILDREN OF POLITICAL PRISONERS

On June 4, Charter 97 appealed to Polish citizens and organizations to help in organizing summer vacations for the children of those political prisoners who have been kept in custody for an extended period. "Your assistance would not only be a humanitarian action but also an action of solidarity with the democratic forces of Belarus," reads the appeal. (Charter 97, June 4)

RUSSIAN-BELARUSIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION?

On June 3, Nikolai Borisevich, spokesman for the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a news conference in Minsk that a protocol agreement to set up a human rights commission of the Russia-Belarus Union and regulations concerning the commission were worked out during consultations held recently in Moscow by the two countries' foreign ministry officials and representatives of the Union's Executive Committee. The establishment of such a commission was stipulated by Article 11 of the equal rights agreement signed by the presidents of Belarus and Russia on December 25, 1998. The commission is supposed to monitor the observance of human rights commitments under the agreement. (Belapan, June 3)

SEMINAR ON ELECTORAL LAW IN MINSK

From June 12 to June 13, an educational seminar entitled "Electoral Law: International Experience and Belarus" was held in Minsk. The seminar was organized within the framework of the project "Electoral Law in Belarus" by the Belarusian Center for Constitutionalism and Comparative Legal Studies and sponsored by the US-based National Endowment for Democracy. (Radio 101.2, June 7)

LUKASHENKO READY TO OFFER POLITICAL ASYLUM TO MILOSEVIC

On June 10, President Lukashenko told reporters that he is ready to offer political asylum to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, if necessary. "But I think it will not come to that," Lukashenko said during a visit to a communications enterprise in Minsk. "It is not Milosevic who lost in the Balkans, we have all lost. We have suffered an extremely severe defeat and we will feel that soon," he added. (Belapan, June 10)

MAN WHO MASTERMINDED BELARUS’S ECONOMY DETAINED

On June 4, an official from the Financial Investigations Committee reported that Belarusian authorities have detained Eduard Eidin, the architect of Belarus' economic reforms. The official declined to give details or say whether Eidin faced charges. Eidin masterminded Belarus’s "socially-oriented economy" which maps out its development until 2010. (Reuters, June 7)

PARLIAMENT TO REVIEW ELECTORAL CODE DRAFT
The permanent commission on state formation, self-rule and procedures of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Belarus National Assembly, received a draft electoral code. Aside from deputies, major public associations and political parties are expected to be invited to join the debate over the draft law. The House of Representatives also claimed its intention to cooperate closely with the OSCE Advisory and Monitoring Group, based in Minsk. The electoral code is expected to be proposed for voting by autumn this year. (Belapan, June 11)

LING PROPOSES BANKRUPTCY PROCEDURE
Belarus Prime Minister Sergei Ling stated the he supports the introduction of a bankruptcy procedure in Belarus. The measure should be applied against loss-making economic entities, according to Mr. Ling. Official statistics estimate that out of 2600 collective and state farms every fifth is bankrupt. (Belapan, June 11)

VIKTOR ILYUKHIN EXPOSES ANOTHER WORLD PLOT

Viktor Ilyukhin, head of the Russian Duma Security Committee, speaking in the Duma, said that he had learned from "reliable sources" that the United States and NATO are working out plans to re-divide the world. Their aggression against Yugoslavia is part of those plans, while their ultimate goal is Russia and China. Ilyukhin said that the situation would develop in the following way. At first, NATO troops will occupy Kosovo and be stationed on the border with Montenegro. Then the situation in Montenegro will be destabilized and it will also be occupied. Serbia, cut off from the sea, will then be stifled by the neighboring NATO countries. Following that (or simultaneously), a large-scale political provocation against Belarus will be engineered. A "rabid propaganda campaign" against Lukashenko will be followed by moves to destabilize the situation in the Grodno Region. The tested Kosovo variant will be used there -- Lukashenko will be accused of ethnic suppression of Polish Catholics living in that region and NATO will bomb Belarus. Afterwards, Ilyukhin said, NATO will come to the Russian border and demand access to Russia's nuclear facilities. NATO's next target will then be China. (Russian Press Digest, June 9)

LUKASHENKO COMMENTS ON ILYUKHIN STATEMENT

On June 10, commenting on allegations that NATO is preparing an operation against Belarus, President Lukashenko said that he was aware of the plans of "certain political circles in the West" to pressure his country and undermine public stability. "I am very grateful to the security services of Russia and other countries for the information they supply," he added. "The brainless people in the West who are planning actions against Belarus and me personally will flounder," Lukashenko said. "Belarus today has no basis for destabilizing society in order to remove Lukashenko, especially militarily." He stressed the country's air defense forces are capable of protecting the whole country. (Interfax, June 10)

KREMLIN DOESN'T LINK 2000 ELECTIONS TO UNION WITH BELARUS

The Kremlin does not link the presidential elections of 2000 to the unification of Russia and Belarus. "The process of the unification of Russia and Belarus is underway but it will hardly be finalized by 2000 due to its slow progress," a Kremlin representative told Itar-Tass on June 8. (Itar-Tass, June 8)

LUKASHENKO ANNOUNCES RUN FOR RUSSIAN-BELARUSIAN PRESIDENCY

In an interview with the Russian newspaper Tribuna, President Lukashenko for the first time declared his desire to run for the presidency of the Russia-Belarus Union if such a position were to be introduced. Confirming the speculations of opposition figures, Lukashenko commented, "If my approval rating is high enough, there certainly will be people who will nominate me." Meanwhile, the draft union treaty discussed by Lukashenko and Russian Prime Minister Stepashin does not provide for the position of union president. Lukashenko also claimed that the slow pace of Russia-Belarus unification was due to the "maneuvers" of "certain political circles," which "throw stones while Belarus extends its hand to Russia." (Beloruskaya Delovaya Gazeta, June 14).

DRAFT BELARUS-RUSSIA UNION TREATY DOES NOT ENVISION PRESIDENCY
Working commissions have agreed on a final draft of the Belarusian-Russian union treaty, RFE/RL's Belarusian Service reported on 7 June. Alyaksandr Kozyr, head of the International Affairs Commission in the Belarusian Chamber of Representatives, told RFE/RL that the draft treaty stipulates the creation of a "soft confederation," whereby both countries preserve their sovereign state functions and supranational bodies will be of an advisory nature. The document does not provide for the posts of president or vice president of the union. Rather, the union is to be governed by a body consisting of the presidents, prime ministers, and parliamentary heads of the two countries. A union parliamentary assembly will be formed from deputies delegated by each parliament. ( RFERL, June 8)

CIS INTERPARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY COUNCIL MEETS IN ST.
PETERSBURG
The delegation of the Belarus National Assembly led by the both chambers’ speakers is attending the meeting of the council of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly in St. Petersburg, Russia. The forum aims to discuss the creation of free trade zones, the strengthening of parliamentary influence on the implementation of the collective security agreements, as required by the decision of CIS Heads of State Council. Parliamentarians are also likely to review a draft common procedural code. (Belapan, June 14)

RUSSIA, BELARUS FORCES TO HOLD STRATEGIC EXERCISES
Russia's armed forces have been ordered to conduct "major strategic exercises" along with troops from neighbouring Belarus, Russian news agencies quoted the Defense Ministry as saying on Saturday. Itar-Tass news agency quoted a Defense Ministry spokesman as saying the General Staff had received the order from "the country's leadership" and the exercises would involve "three military districts and one naval fleet." It was not clear where or when the exercises would take place, or if the order was linked to the situation in Yugoslavia. (Reuters, June 12)

THOUSAINDS OF BELARUSIAN CATHOLICS GREET POPE IN POLAND

Pope John Paul II visited Poland in early June. On June 9, over one thousand Belarusians went to see the Pope on a train from Brest specially provided by Polish authorities. The total number of Belarusian citizens who will be transported to Poland is expected to exceed ten thousand. (Charter 97, June 10).