European Belarus!

Head of the judicial system of Iran visited Minsk and called on Belarus to give a new definition to terms human rights, freedom of speech, racism, discrimination, and terrorism.

Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi said at a meeting with Barys Batura, head of the National Assembly of Belarus:

"The hegemonic countries and colonialist countries misuse these terms and have turned them into an instrument of enforcing their will and interests upon other peoples. We and you must do our best to help all freedom-minded peoples to live how they want!" he noted.

Batura said in turn that Belarus regarded Iran as the most important and powerful country's partner in the Middle East and the Islamic world. "I think this visit will confirm our future serious work over legal basis of our cooperation," the speaker of the lower house of the parliament said.

In the morning April 29, 2009 Head of the Supreme Court of Belarus Valyantsin Sukala received an official delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran leaded by Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, head of the judicial system.

"Our guest told about peculiarities of the judicial system of Iran and expressed his hopes for more active cooperation between the two agencies," Zlata Hurynovich, press secretary of the Supreme Court said. "The parties discussed cooperation in the legal sector and set task for the future during the meeting."

After the negotiations in the Supreme Court a motorcade of six black Mercedeses drove to the Administration of Lukashenko. The Irani delegation plans to have meetings with the leadership of the Ministry of Justice and the Belarusian ruler.

According to the Russian Institute of Israel and Middle East Studies, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi occupies an honourable place in the old guard of the power class. He has a title Seyyed meaning he refers to descendants of the prophet Muhammad. Shahroudi has been actively engaged in the public politics since 1999, when he became the head of the judicial system of Iran (one of the three branches of the government).

Shahroudi belongs to the so called Iraqi clan of the ruling Shia class of Iran.

It should be noted that Iran is second only after China in the number of capital punishments: in 2008, 226 people were executed. Public executions are very popular in the country, among them previously used stoning. In January 2008, Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi imposed a ban on public executions, expect for those approved by him "in case of social need".

Shahroudi holds a strong position on the Iran's nuclear program. He supports mastering the complete nuclear fuel cycle at any cost. According to the head of the judicial system, the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran should use all possible political and economic measures to achieve secure access to peaceful nuclear power.

Thousands of armed soldiers of the interior troops were brought to Minsk on March 25th, 2009. On the day when the country was celebrating the anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic proclamation, the authorities in fact imposed a state of emergency in the capital. How ironic and sad it is.

Belarus marked the 91st anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic on March 25th, the event that gave the beginning to establishment of independent Belarus. Organizers of the action, the BPF party, applied for holding a rally from the Academy of Sciences to October square. The Minsk authorities permitted the participants to gather in front of the Academy of Sciences and traditionally permitted a rally not to the city center, but to Banhalor square, a bedroom district. The action organizers said a decision by the authorities on prohibition of a peaceful demonstration dedicated to the national holiday was unlawful and the people who would come to the Academy of Sciences would choose where they should go.

Oppositionists were preventively arrested ahead of the action. Militia and traffic militia officers in regions detained youth activists, going to Minsk for the demonstration on March 25. Apartments of activist of the civil campaign "European Belarus" and "Young Front" were searched ahead and on the demonstration. Young people were seized national flags, banners, and printed materials. Youth activists were detained an hour before the rally, militiamen were catching them in streets, beating, taking away banners and leaflets.

Nevertheless, some thousands people gathered near the Academy of Sciences at 6.00 p.m. A large number of national and EU flags created an atmosphere of a holiday. Besides flags, Minsk dwellers brought red and white balloons and flowers. Many people came with their families and children.

Leader of the civil campaign "European Belarus" Andrei Sannikov, former chairman of the Supreme Council of Belarus Stanislau Shushkevich, BPF party leaders Lyavon Barshcheuski, Viktar Ivashkevich, and Vintsuk Vyachorka, coordinator of Charter'97 Zmitser Bandarenka, leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Lyabedzka, leader of the Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich, activists of the civil campaign "European Belarus" Zmitser Barodka, Yauhen Afnahel, Paval Yukhnevich, co-head of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Paval Sevyarynets, leader of the "Young Front" Zmitser Dashkevich, leader of the "Young Belarus" Artur Finkevich, People's Artist of Belarus Zinaida Bandarenka, deputy head of the United Civil Party Lyudmila Hraznova, People's Poet of Belarus Henadz Buraukin, popular playwright Uladzimir Khalip, and other famous people took part in the demonstration.

Demonstrators were holding huge white-red-white breadths of cloth, streamers "European Belarus!", "Freedom to political prisoners", "Belarus to Europe!" Slogans "Long live Belarus!" and "Independence!" were heard all the time.

A short meeting was held in front of the Academy of Sciences. Speakers (opposition leaders, intellectuals, youth leaders) congratulated Belarusians on Freedom Day, expressing confidence that sooner or later the day would be celebrated as a state holiday.

The Belarusian Popular Front Party leader asked those participants of the rally who support Lukashenko's regime raise their hands. In a silence no one raised a hand. Lyavon Barshcheuski stated that on March 24th applicants sent a letter to Minsk city executive committee stating that Surhanau Street is not adjusted for marching of great quantities of people, that is why demonstrators won't be ale to go to Bangalore Square where the meeting was sanctioned by city authorities.

The chairman of the organizing committee for creation of the Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikola Statkevich stated that nobody is going to go "to the swamp, to a ground for walking dogs". "It is impossible to stand there with the holy white-red-white flag and our sacred symbols," the politician stated.

At last BPF deputy head Viktar Ivashkevich called on the participants of the action to from a human chain along Independence Avenue holding flags and banners and stand there for an hour, reminding people about freedom Day, political prisoners.

A part of people formed a human chain on advice of Viktar Ivashkevich. But a column of youth of 500 people moved to October square shouting "Independence!", "No to Union with Imperial Russia!", "Freedom to Political Prisoners!" the column consisted of activists of the civil campaign "European Belarus", "Young Front", and "Young Belarus".

The young oppositionists managed to walk only 100 meters and their way was blocked by hundreds of riot militiamen armed with batons at intersection of Independence Avenue and Brouka Street. A hundred of riot militiamen formed columns on both sides of the avenue.

Then youth leaders Yauhen Afnagel and Artur Finkevich called upon demonstrators to refuse to be drawn in authorities' provocations. As said by them, actions of law enforcers against peaceful demonstrators showed the real face of "liberalization" declared by the Belarusian regime.

A column of young people went back to the Academy of Sciences. Young people tried to walk into the traffic area of Independence Avenue, but they were forced away from the avenue. This time they were pushed back by traffic policemen.

The rally lasted for about an hour more. People were standing on the avenue's border with flags and streamers, chanting "Long live Belarus!", the cars passing by honked in support, some people joined the chain.

When the rally finished in about an hour, buses and trucks with internal troops soldiers started to arrive from the streets near Independence Avenue. Only from Hikala street, near Yakub Kolas square, 44 buses and trucks with people in uniform appeared! There were even more buses and trucks near the Academy of Science where the rally was held.

A few thousands of soldiers were sent against Belarusians celebrating the national holiday just to confirm that the dictatorship in Belarus will die sooner or later.

Long Live Free Democratic European BELARUS!

Street actions against Lukashenko's dictatorship are to take place in many cities around the world on March 18, 2009

The events are timed to the anniversary of Lukashenko's election victory in 2006 which is not recognized by the international community. The protest is organized by Brussels-based international political non-governmental organisation the JEF-Europe (Young European Federalists) and their partners.

Organisers of the actions explain that it is dedicated specifically to Belarus, the last dictatorship in Europe. In more than 100 cities people are to protest against the unjust regime and demand the struggle against dictatorships to become one of the priorities in the foreign policy of the European Union.

"On 18 March 2009 European youth will remind our leaders and civil society that Europe is not a dictatorship-free continent," the JEF-Europe stresses.

They underline that the Belarusian dictatorship exists for 15 years, but the EU hasn't had clear policy towards the situation in Belarus. EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels confirmed their decision NOT TO IMPOSE (?!) visa bans on Belarusian officials. And it sounds real strange. Why did they do that? So the authorities can rig the results of the elections and nobody gets punished for
doing that? Do they do the same it in other European countries? Why only
people in Belarus need to suffer from unwise EU decisions?

The EU imposed travel sanctions on Lukashenko and 41 Belarusian officials after the presidential elections 2006. In October 2008, the EU foreign ministers suspended visa ban on Belarusian officials, including Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The EU ministers agreed to discuss the situation in six month to decide whether to reimpose the ban depending on the human rights situation in Belarus.

None of the positive changes happened in Belarus during those six month! Political repressions in the country have gone wild. New political prisoners have appeared. Leaders of entrepreneurs Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, and Uladzimir Asipenka were arrested in Vaukavysk in February. "Young Front" activist Artsyom Dubski, participant of the Case of 14, was arrested in February, too. Forceful draft into the army can be observed in Belarus. In spite of medical condition, Franak Vyachorka, Ivan Shyla, and Zmitser Khvedaruk were call up for military service. Human rights activist Yana Palyakova, pressed by the Belarusian authorities, committed suicide. So authorities can kill people in Belarus and then go to Europe on vacations???

Rights of opposition activists Alyaksei Bondar, Mikhail Kryvau, Mikhail Pashkevich, Alyaksandr Straltsou, Alyaksandr Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tsishkevich, Mikhail Subach, Paval Vinahradau, Maksim Dashuk, and Alyaksandr Barazenka, sentenced to restraint of liberty for participation in protest rallies of entrepreneurs, remain restricted.

Not only opposition activists but most of the Belarusian people stand for tightening sanctions against the Belarusian authorities. "Brussels must make it clear that freedom of the press and NGOs and above all respect for human rights, especially with regard to the opposition, are prerequisites for any EU gains and EU entry for Belarus officials", Toni Giugliano, Action Co-ordinator wrote.

The cities where the action will take place include not only European ones (Brussels, Prague, Copenhagen, Paris, Helsinki, Berlin, Warsaw, Geneva, Stockholm, London, Kyiv, Petersburg, Riga) but also Dubai, New York, Pretoria and so on. As for Belarus, it is said in the statement that the action will take place in the country also, but its place is not disclosed because of security reasons.

Recently among the people mentioned in the oppositional discourse, the ideas like "we should talk with the regime, help them receive loans form the West" are propagandized more and more insistently, Lyavon Barshcheuski writes at the website of the Belarusian Popular Front party:
http://www.pbnf.org

Why such things should be done? They say that otherwise:

- "the regime would surrender Belarus' independence",

- "our citizens would suffer from the economical crisis",

- "our people won't understand the opposition," and so on and so forth.

It means that such politicians offer to RESCUE - no, not the country's sovereignty, not the interests of our citizens, but the REGIME.

Do not worry, dear sirs; the regime knows how to rescue itself better than we do. It in the same regime that once rescued itself when banned publishing anti-corruption report by Syarhei Antonchyk in most popular newspapers; when the legally elected parliament was deprived of "Narodnaya gazeta" by force.

It was rescuing itself when on April 12, 1995 overnight an order was made to brutally beat up deputies of the Belarusian Popular Front in the Supreme Soviet.

The regime was rescuing itself when wheeling-dealing referendums were held in 1995, 1996 and in 2004.

Hangmen in the government agencies were rescuing themselves, leaving the families of Yury Zakharanka, Henadz Karpenka, Viktar Hanchar, Zmitser Zavadski without breadwinners, and seizing freedom of Mikola Markevich, Viktar Ivashkevich, Paval Mazhejka, Paval Sevyarynets, Mikola Statkevich, Andrei Klimau, Mikola Astrejka, Alyaksandr Kazulin, Andrei Kim, Zmitser Dashkevich, Anton Kishkurna, for a long time.

The regime was rescuing itself adopting unconstitutional repressive acts against freedom of meetings, demonstrations, pickets, against freedom of expression.

The regime counted upon its immortality and indestructibility, when they forcibly changed school and university programs on history, literature, social science, expelled children and teachers of the Belarusian Humanities Lyceum, squeezed the European Humanities University into emigration.

It was rescuing itself, signing commitments to mass media in Minsk and Istanbul declaration with commitments to the world community.

It was rescuing itself selling oil, gas and raw materials to our enterprises at speculative prices, and gagged our intellectuals by millions of rubles from them not to take part in protest rallies in such a deceitful way.

The regime was looking for a way to rescue itself by expelling from educational institutions, firing and blacklisting hundreds and thousands of people only for daring to say aloud what they think.

It was rescuing itself by public sneering at the independent Union of Belarusian Writers, having reduced many of its members to indigence; by illegal imprisonment of Yury Khadyka, Alyaksei Marachkin, Valyantsin Holubeu, Yazep Yanushkevich, Ales Zhlutka; by malicious beating up of Radzim Haretski, Valery Mazynski, Adam Maldzis, Uladzimir Markhel.

Lickspittles who can exist only near the trough were rescuing this regime, hitting on the face of Svyatlana Zavadskaya by a "brave man's hand", compelling young people to join the army though they are not able to serve because of their state of health.

And now it means that we should lend our shoulders to the regime and rescue THEM?!.. Now inept politicians in short trousers are asking: give these people money for them not to perish. Help them, they are poor things, as Belarus won't be able to exist without them: they are leaders of the state, and they allow us to sleep in our house - under the bench.

And maybe someday some of us would be kindly given a position with high salary in their "chamber" or at least invited for a soulful conversation and a cup of coffee with the editor-in-chief of the "correct" newspaper.

There is an old proverb: "While a fatty loses weight, a thin one starves to death". A conclusion could be made: let us not allow the "fatty" (that is, the current regime) become attenuated by hunger, otherwise we all will kick the bucket. It is improper conclusion. "The fat boy" won't lose weight anyway. And what about us? And we can accidentally kick the bucket, if we would listen to such advisers, certainly.

Lyavon Barshcheuski,
the Belarusian Popular Front Party Leader
---
http://www.pbnf.org
---

MINSK, 29 September 2008 - Despite some minor improvements, the 28 September parliamentary elections in Belarus ultimately fell short of OSCE commitments for democratic elections, international observers from the OSCE concluded in a preliminary statement issued today.

The election took place in a strictly controlled environment with a barely visible campaign, said the observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA).

Voting was generally well conducted, but the process deteriorated considerably during the vote count. Promises to ensure transparency of the vote count were not implemented. The count was assessed as bad or very bad in 48 per cent of polling stations visited. Where access was possible, several cases of deliberate falsification of results were observed.

OSCE monitors were prevented or hindered from observing the vote count in 35 per cent of cases. This compromised the transparency of this fundamental element of the election process.

"The clear signals to improve the election process were not implemented and substantial improvements are required if Belarus is to conduct genuinely democratic elections in line with our common OSCE commitments. Unfortunately the repeated signals of good will did not seem to have been correctly given or received. Consequently the significant progress we hoped for in the democratic development of Belarus did not materialize," said Anne-Marie Lizin, Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Special Co-ordinator of the OSCE short-term observers.

"I'm hopeful and disappointed at the same time. Hopeful because when we came here it seemed that there was some wind of change in the election environment; disappointed because we were unable to see a problem solved that has been with election observation in this country for a long time, and that is the non-transparency of the vote count. But we hope that the improved co-operation we have experienced during this election can be the basis for a genuine dialogue on implementing our recommendations", said Ambassador Geert Ahrens, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission.

Positive developments included the slightly increased access of opposition representatives to election commissions, the decision to rebroadcast once the five-minute candidate spots during prime time, and the recommendation to seal ballot box slots overnight during the five-day early voting period. Some opposition candidates noted progress in their ability to conduct meetings in authorized locations without interference.

The legislative framework continues to present obstacles for elections in line with OSCE commitments. The media coverage of the campaign did not provide meaningful information for voters to be able to make an informed choice. Political parties played a minor role, and restrictions imposed by the state authorities did not allow for a vibrant campaign with real competition.

The OSCE deployed some 450 international observers from 43 countries, including more than 320 short-term observers and 58 experts and long-term observers fielded by ODIHR, as well as 66 parliamentarians and staff from the OSCE PA.

The OSCE/ODIHR monitoring mission didn't recognise the "parliamentary elections" in Belarus free and democratic. The heads of the mission of international observers noted that considerable violations had been found at all stages of the election campaign. The elections fell short of OSCE standards.

OSCE recommendations weren't fulfilled. Observers note that votes counting was held behind the closed doors. Observers had no access to votes counting, process of monitoring the "elections" was complicated, facts of rigging the voting results were noticed. We have all grounds to think strict administrative control was exercised over the electoral process. A subjective of an electoral campaign is offering choice for voters. However, electoral freedom was restricted by the Belarusian authorities. The Belarusian authorities need changes in order for the country to set a course of democratisation and progress, said Anne-Marie Lizin, Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Special Co-coordinator of the OSCE short-term observers.

Geert Ahrens, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission said he was disappointed in the running and results of the "parliamentary elections" in Belarus. According to him, "we were unable to see a problem solved that has been with election observation in this country for a long time, and that is the non-transparency of the vote count". Mr Ahrens noted that OSCE observers had recorded violations at all stages of the electoral campaign.

Results of the "elections" in Belarus have become a subject of top level politicians' comments.

Lech Kaczy%u0144ski, the President of the Republic of Poland, has made several statements on the subject on air of Radio Bialystok on September 29.

Polish president has stated that he does not believe transparency and democratic nature of the "parliamentary elections" in Belarus.

L. Kaczy%u0144ski noted that the "election" was a step in a right direction for Belarus, however, "A ballot is democratic only when the regime has no possibilities to control the process [of voting]. "When there are possibilities for control, it always signalize about danger, and means that there is no democracy," the Polish president said.

To his mind, a process of changing ruling elites should take place in Belarus. "In other words, Lukashenko should be a person who understands that loss of power is not a failure, but it is normal," L. Kaczy%u0144ski said. "But there are no signs that Lukashenko finds loss of power a normal process".

The results of the "election" in 110 constituencies show none of the opposition figures has got to the "house of representatives".

Head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna said it at a press conference in Minsk today.

The "election" ended in the first voting. According to the official data, turnout was 75.3 per cent.

This election was the most non-alternative in the history of modern Belarus. Only 2.4 candidates contested for a seat in the "house of representatives". Election was non-alternative in 15 constituencies, with one representative of the authorities. The number of constituencies without democratic candidates was 40.

There were no democratic candidates in 9 out of 20 constituencies in Minsk. 263 candidates run in the "election". 365 people applied for registration. About 80 applicants weren't registered, more than 20 withdrew their candidatures.

An extremely low rate of representatives of the opposition political parties in polling station election commissions - only 47 people out of 69.865 (0.07 per cent) demonstrates that there was no fair votes counting and the results were rigged again, the opposition thinks.

Belarus will conduct a Parliamentary Election on September 28, 2008. And Belarus "President" Lukashenko promises his country's upcoming election will be open and democratic. So, let's talk about democracy (and regular dictatorship in between the lines).

Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by people under a free and fair electoral system. What happens if there is no free and fair electoral system? And what happens if the whole electoral system is controlled by the government. Who is controlling the government? Nobody! The main thing is when there is no democracy - there is no control by the people over the government's actions. Ask the people of Zimbabwe do they want to live with no food, no water and 2000000% inflation. Probably, they don't. And, probably, that's what can happen when people loose control over their government.

So, when there is no control, there is no balance of power, there is no law, there is no opposition, no freedoms, no human rights, because two main principles of democracy are purposely destroyed by the government. The first principle is: all members of the society have equal access to power. And the second one is: all members of the society enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties. So, when people are separated from voting, or when they can vote for the government's candidates only, they are abused by the "tyranny" of the undemocratic dictatorial government. They are misinformed by the government's mass media and are not able to vote in their own personal interests. So, the dictatorial government does not care about people, and their votes, and their personal interests. The dictatorial government is pursuing their own personal interests and can easily falsify the results of any elections in the interests of so called president, his pocket ministers and bureaucratic representatives (in short, president's gang members).

As we know, Belarus is a presidential republic, governed (or plundered) by an illegitimate president and the National Assembly consisting of the 110-member House of Representatives, the lower house, and 64-member Council of the Republic, the upper house. Therefore, the President, Prime Minister, National Assembly, Council of Ministers, the Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Court, basically couple of hundreds of elite people in charge have ALL THE POWER what they need to do anything (stealing, killing, selling Belarus to Russia) without the rest about 10 million Belarusian people's concern.

Since the first president's election in July 1994, he consolidated all the power in his hands and dominated all branches of the government. He used a non-democratic November 1996 Referendum to amend the 1994 Constitution in order to broaden his powers and illegally extend his term in the office. This was the first time when he stole votes from the people of Belarus. After that he learned fast how to falsify any elections. Then he stole some terms in power for his personal use and began to count his 5-year term not from July 1994 but November 1996, taking illegally two more years of power. After his re-election in 2001 Lukashenko fell in love with massive vote-counting fraud forgetting forever any common standards of fairness. In 2004 he did it again fraudulently removing presidential term limits. No wander that March 2003 local elections and October 2004 parliamentary elections failed to meet any international standards. In March 2006 he re-elected himself again disregarding rights and freedoms of all Belarusian people.
What a shame!

Going back to a Parliamentary Election of October 12, 2008 there are 6523 polling stations with 110 district commissions and only 0,05% of the opposition control. How the parliament elected through not-open to voters' control polling stations can be legal? What kind of open and democratic election is that?

What Belarusian people and the opposition can not understand is that nobody is going to help them, not the US, not the EU, they have to help themselves. Every Belarus should finally admit that any election with the present "president" and his gang will be fraud and farce, and people's vote will be rigged as usual leaving then powerless to change anything again and again (for centuries?). For how long they can suffer because of the unworthy, corrupt, ignorant, illegal government obstructing any progress in Belarus. There is no better life, no progress without democracy, without legitimate elections. Did you travel to North Korea, Zimbabwe or Cuba lately? Do you want to see how people can live without any control over their government? The answer is simple; most of the people are hungry, oppressed and living in fear in very poor conditions after tens of years of rigged elections.

This time every person in Belarus should boycott the government's "election" and demand a new open, free and fair real election for all the people of Belarus. People should demand of the present government to return to the Constitution of 1994, reconsider all amendments and get dismissed. New democratic government should be elected. What the EU and US can not understand is that Belarus is not a "vassal" of Russia, the present government is. Most of Belarusian people are pro-European and pro-democratic but they never had a chance their voice to be heard during the last 14 years of Lukashenko's dictatorship. The Council of the Republic has the right to launch an investigation into charges of treason or other major crime brought by the lower chamber against the president and to dismiss the president by a two-thirds majority. All new members of the National Assembly should be elected democratically this time. Only Belarusian people themselves should fight for their rights. The real opposition is more than 9 million of people, just help them to make an informative decision, and just tell people the truth one on one.