EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - October 28, 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 MINSK 001330

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY REPORT - October 28, 2005



1. The following are brief items of interest compiled
by Embassy Minsk over the past week.

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Human Rights
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2. Authorities Cancel Youth Forum, Youth Leaders
Detained

On October 22, authorities prevented a meeting of 85
leaders of youth organization from all the regions of
Belarus. The participants planned to discuss youth
issues and develop an "Alternative Youth Policy." The
police detained three mini-buses carrying participants
to the forum for administrative motorway violations.
Police at the site of the forum canceled the meeting and
told the participants who had already arrived to return
home. The organizers blamed the GOB for canceling the
forum and stated, "This government does not need young
people who have their own point of view and system of
values, have leadership abilities and are independent of
the authorities."


3. Another Fine for Evangelical Churches

After an October 17 visit by officials from the city
executive committee, Emergency Situations Ministry and
the sanitary station to several Evangelical churches in
Kobryn and Brest, authorities fined Evangelic Faith
Christians pastor Mikalay Radkovich BYR 25,000 [USD 12]
for fire violations, including the lack of a fire-
extinguisher sufficiently large enough to service the
building. The pastor added that the inspections occur
regularly and that the authorities have drawn up reports
on every member of the church of Evangelic Faith
Baptists.


4. Malady Front Activists Sentenced for Carrying
National Flag

On October 24, a Bobruisk judge in a closed trial
sentenced Malady Front activists Dzianis Bujnitski and
Siarhei Latsinski to two days in prison for hooliganism.
The activists were detained two days before the trial
for unfurling a Belarusian nationalist red and white
flag at a rock concert.


5. Skrebets' Wife Denied Permission to Visit on
Birthday

On October 25, authorities denied permission for jailed
former MP Sergei Skrebets to see his wife on his
birthday. Not having seen her husband since August,
Aleksandra Skrebets visited the prison every day for two
weeks before his birthday. When her request was
officially rejected, she left a parcel and a card for
him.


6. Police Stop Opposition Gathering in Mozyr

On October 24, police broke up a meeting of opposition
activists, including representatives of the Warsaw-based
International Relations Center and former EHU lecturer
Vyacheslav Pozdnyak. The police entered the house of
United Civic Party leader Leonid Orlov, allegedly to
look for illegal guns. The police filmed the search,
photographed the participants and took several people to
the police station. The Belarusians were released
several hours later, and the foreigners were deported
from Belarus.


7. Discrepancies in the Status of "Disappeared" Case

On October 24, after the Inter-Parliamentary Union's
Committee meeting in Geneva, MP Anatoly Solovyov stated
that the investigation into the disappearance of
politician Viktor Gonchar has been re-opened "in
connection with newly learned circumstances." The next
day, however, the Minsk City Prosecutor's Office stated
the investigation was never suspended. Gonchar's lawyer
claimed, "Investigative activities are being kept under
cover if conducted at all. They give no information to
us and we know nothing of the investigation."

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Elections
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8. Belarusian Union of Officers (BSO) Wants Lukashenko
to Run for President

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On October 23, the BSO called for Aleksandr Lukashenko
to run in the 2006 presidential election. Citing
stability, peace, safety, and economic growth, the BSO
commended Lukashenko on his achievements as president.
BSO asked retired members of the Belarusian Armed Forces
to pool their support for the president.



9. Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) Forms Youth Wing

On October 20, the BPF announced plans to form "Moladz
BNF" (Youth of the BPF). The youth wing will consist of
party members and youth from around the country who will
carry out "human rights, printing, educational, cultural
and sports projects." Moladz BNF will support
opposition candidate Aleksandr Milinkevich's election
campaign by collecting signatures and distributing
information.


10. Third Presidential Nominee

On October 21, the New Belarus - Unity coalition
nominated Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus leader and
MP Sergey Gaidukevich as a presidential candidate.
[Note: this is a new coalition, if it exists at all.]
Gaidukevich, who ran in the 2001 presidential elections,
has selected his campaign strategy team, but refuses to
divulge any details about it or "show his cards" so
early in the campaign.

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Civil Society
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11. Vitebsk Bombers Arrested

On October 21, authorities apprehended two brothers
allegedly responsible for the September bombings in
Vitebsk, which injured over 40 people. They have been
charged with attempted murder. The suspects allegedly
confessed to the crime and Lukashenko praised the
authorities for their quick closure of the
investigation.


12. Belarus "Temporarily" Adopts Death Penalty

On October 26, the GOB amended the criminal code to
include an amendment saying the death penalty in Belarus
will be only "temporary." The amendment, which was
proposed by Lukashenko, will remain in existence until
cancelled and can be used as "an exceptional form of
punishment for particularly grave crimes, such as
premeditated murder in aggravating circumstances."
Belarus has for years had a death penalty.


13. Dying to Leave Belarus

On October 23, Belarusian Medical Postgraduate Academy
announced that Belarus has Europe's third highest
suicide rate after Lithuania and Russia. The total
number of suicides in Belarus (3,295) in 2004 exceeded
the number of people killed in road accidents in that
same year.


14. Propagandists To Promote Belarus' Image Abroad

On October 25, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander
Gerasimenko, at a two-day ideology seminar for 100 state
propaganda officials and businessmen, told the audience
to conduct a "preemptive and aggressive" campain to
improve Belarus' image abroad. He urged Bearusian
agencies to unite their propaganda to "gve foreigners a
comprehensive view of Belarus."

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Economics
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15. GOB GDP rowth Projections Not So Robust

On October 20, he Ministry of Economy announced Belarus may
fal short of the projected seven-eight percent GDP grwth
rate targets for next year after internationl standards for
calculating the Industrial Producion Index (IPI) are
implemented in Belarus. TheIPI downplays industrial
output, which is a signficant component of the Belarusian
economy. In rder to reach the government mandated growth
rats, Belarus will have to use the old calculation sysem.


16. GOB Tightens Control Over Poultry in Fer of Bird Flu

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On October 25, the GOB signed an agreement to toughen
sanitary control at national borders on the production,
processing and sale of poultry in an effort to prevent avian
flu from reaching Belarus. Within Belarus, the GOB
carefully monitors the access to and the sanitary conditions
of poultry farms. The GOB is also considering banning the
import of fluff, feather, meat and bone flour from all
countries. Currently, the GOB bans poultry import from
Russia (except Kaliningrad),Kazakhstan, Turkey, Romania,
Iran, and Greece, and is considering banning poultry from
the U.K. and Croatia.


17. Presidential Decree Cuts Number of Alcohol
Wholesalers

On October 27, Deputy Tax Minister Vasily Kamenko
announced the number of wholesale alcohol traders in
Belarus will fall from 486 to 27 in December 2006 after
a presidential decree implementing new requirements for
production, sale, and advertisement of alcohol comes
into effect. Kamenko explained, "Belarus tightens the
requirements to protect consumers' rights and increase
state budget revenues. In the 90's, the sector was de-
monopolized and both consumers and the state suffered."



18. Russia and Belarus Strengthen Cooperation in Auto
Industry

On October 20, Lukoil and the Minsk Automobile factory
(MAZ) signed an agreement to create a symbiotic
partnership for the manufacture and advertisement of
lubricants. MAZ will promote Lukoil lubricants in
conjunction with its truck sales while Lukoil will
develop lubricants in accordance with MAZ technical
requirements.

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Bilateral Relations
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19. Belarus and Venezuela Form Friendship

During Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ali Rodriguez
Araquewill's October 21-22 visit to Minsk, the two countries
laid the foundation for economic cooperation, especially in
the sphere of agricultural machine building, technology and
power engineering. The two countries have pledged to
support each other at the international level since,
according to Lukashenko, they have "identical views and
identical goals in politics." This was the first visit of a
Venezuelan foreign minister to Belarus since the two
countries established diplomatic relations in 1997.

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Quotes of the Week
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20. On October 25, Lukashenko inspected the site for the
new National Library, which is expected to hold up to 14
million books and will include a 500-seat conference
hall, bars, restaurants, a gym, a beauty parlor, and
enough reading rooms to accommodate 2,000 visitors.
Lukashenko warned the builders to work quickly but
carefully:

"If I find out on completion that something is leaking
or sagging, you will be held responsible. You must do a
perfect job.... This library is our country's face so
the make-up must be done thoroughly. I'm giving the
last warning: God save you from faking it."


21. On October 26, Belarus' Foreign Minister threatened
the EU when the EU Commission proposed to drop economic
preferences for Belarus:

"The EU will lose the crumbs of respect Belarus still
has for it if it imposes economic sanctions against our
country."


22. On October 27, Parliament passed a bill mandating the
relatives of state servicemen to declare their incomes.
During the bill's debate in parliament, MP Vasili Khrol
suggested including mothers-in-law on the list of persons
subject to the mandatory income declaration requirement:

"How come grandparents and grandchildren must declare
incomes and property, while the mother-in-law mustn't? Can
you imagine what beautiful life mothers-in-law will be
leading now? The families will carry them in their arms,

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after all property is registered in their name."

KROL