Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MINSK786
2007-09-13 13:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:
EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - September 14, 2007
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000786
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON ENRG BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - September 14, 2007
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MINSK 000786
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON ENRG BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - September 14, 2007
1. The following are brief items of interest compiled by Embassy
Minsk.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Civil Society
--------------
- Opposition Leader Jailed and Fined (para. 2)
- Three Activists Receive Jail Sentences (para. 3)
- GOB Introduces Residential Registration (para. 4)
- Soligorsk Miners Hold Twenty-Four Hour Strike (para. 5)
- Religious Leaders Discuss Freedom of Conscience (para. 6)
- Supreme Court Denies Labor Group Registration (para. 7)
Domestic Economy
--------------
- GOB Adopts New Energy Plan (para. 8)
International Trade
--------------
- GOB Grants New Seafood Import Licenses (para. 9)
- Reserve Cigarette Import Quotas Distributed(para. 10)
- Quote of the Week (para. 11)
--------------
Civil Society
--------------
2. Opposition Leader Jailed and Fined
A Baranovichi District Court judge sentenced opposition leader and
Belarus Christian Democracy Co-Chairperson Pavel Severinets to 17
days in jail and a fine of 620,000 rubles (USD 290) on September 10.
Severinets was convicted of disorderly conduct and participating in
an unauthorized demonstration. Police detained Severinets at the
Baranovichi District Courthouse where he joined a demonstration in
support of a Malady Front member standing trial on criminal charges.
Also detained and released were a Radio Liberty reporter, France
Press and Reuters photo correspondents, and an independent local
journalist.
3. Three Activists Receive Jail Sentences
An Orsha District Court Judge sentenced Belarusian Christian
Democracy co-chair Denis Sadovsky to five days in jail on September
10. Sadovsky and other activists, including prominent dissident
artist Ales Pushkin and youth activist Aleksey Yanushevsky, were
arrested on September 8 near Orsha where the opposition was set to
hold a music festival to celebrate the anniversary of a medieval
battle. Pushkin and Yanushevsky were tried behind closed doors,
found guilty of petty hooliganism, and sentenced to seven days in
jail after being accused of throwing a state flag out of the window
of the Orsha district police station. Pushkin admitted his sole
guilt of disrespect to official state symbols, but demanded to be
tried under the criminal code, asked for the release of Yanushevsky,
and has reportedly begun a hunger strike.
4. GOB Introduces Residential Registration
President Lukashenko signed an edict on September 10 to abolish
Soviet-era resident permits and to introduce a new residential
registration system starting next year. Under the old law, resident
permits were mandatory and were necessary in order to obtain
employment in the area of residence. The new regulations increase
the mandated living space per capita - 20 square meters in Minsk and
15 square meters elsewhere in Belarus. The edict also increases
controls over foreign residents, allowing for official visits to
homes to confirm claimed residency.
5. Soligorsk Miners Hold Twenty-Four Hour Strike
On September 9, miners and underground servicemen of the Soligorsk
potash fertilizer factory Belaruskali held a 24-hour preventive
strike. According to Independnet Miners' Trade Union Head Vassily
Nikityuk, employees were protesting significant cuts of social and
retirement benefits for working in hazardous conditions. Nikityuk
says the factory's administration assured the miners they would look
into the issue, but the miners are prepared to strike indefinitely
if the GOB does not meet their demands.
6. Religious Leaders Discuss Freedom of Conscience
Twenty Protestant pastors and civil society activists convened a
meeting on September 7 to discuss their ongoing Campaign for
Advocating Religious Freedom Rights. New Life Church (NLC) Lawyer
Sergey Lukanin stated that activists had collected over 27,000
MINSK 00000786 002 OF 002
signatures appealing to the Constitutional Court to challenge the
controversial and restrictive 2002 religion law. Meeting
participants also voted for closer cooperation with other Christian
communities, and to reach a goal of 50,000 signatures by the end of
November 2007. The group also adopted an agenda for raising
awareness of religious freedom violations and legal impediments to
worship.
7. Supreme Court Denies Labor Group Registration
The Supreme Court on September 10 denied an appeal filed by a group
of trade union and opposition activists pushing for labor laws and
regulations changes. The group sought registration with the Central
Election Commission (CEC) in order to launch a signature collection
campaign to initiate a referendum abolishing employees' obligation
to sign fixed-term labor contracts. The CEC refused registration in
June 2007 citing insufficient attendance at the group's founding
conference on May 1. The group's head, Gennady Fedynich, maintained
that the court's denial was expected, and the group would file a
case with the UN Human Rights Council.
--------------
Domestic Economy
--------------
8. GOB Adopts New Energy Plan
The Presidential Administration announced on September 11 the GOB's
new energy plan, which envisages a reduction of imported Russian
natural gas from 80 percent to 50 percent of total domestic energy
consumption. According to the plan, Belarus will continue to
diversify energy and fuel sources by importing oil and gas from the
Caspian region, Iran, Venezuela, sourcing coal from Ukraine and
Poland, and building three new coal-fired power plants. The GOB
also plans to increase fuel oil reserves by constructing gas storage
facilities. The plan assumes energy consumption will increase by 30
percent by 2020.
--------------
International Trade
--------------
9. GOB Grants New Seafood Import Licenses
The Presidential Administration announced on September 7 that 29
Belarusian companies received licenses to import fish and seafood in
2007. The number of grantees fell from 62 last year. Fourteen
importers account for 84 percent of all supplies in 2006. Currently
licensed companies will be able to import fish until October 1,
2007, while the new licensees will start importing seafood as soon
as they receive their certificates. President Lukashenko personally
approved the list of authorized companies.
10. Reserve Cigarette Import Quotas Distributed
The government of Belarus has increased the cigarette import quota
for 2007, granting Belarustorg under the Presidential Administration
an additional 67 million cigarettes and British-American Tobacco
Trading Company an additional 30 million. The new quota now stands
at 1.5 billion-cigarettes for the year. Belarus' overall annual
consumption of cigarettes is estimated between 16 and 18 billion.
Under the March 23, 2007 trade agreement with Russia, Belarus is set
to abolish the tobacco import quotas by October 1, 2007.
--------------
11. Quote of the Week
--------------
Well-known Belarusian lawyer and a leader of the Belarusian Social
Democratic Party (Gramada) Igor Rynkevich, supporting the European
March to be held this October:
"For centuries since the times of the Grand Lithuanian Duchy,
Belarus has been a part of European Civilization... [W]hen at the
beginning of the nineties Belarus had the chance to construct its
future on the basis of fast integration into Europe I believed that
it was possible in the shortest period of time. But then we were
thrown aside and finally turned into the European Cuba."
Stewart
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ECON ENRG BO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MINSK WEEKLY POL/ECON REPORT - September 14, 2007
1. The following are brief items of interest compiled by Embassy
Minsk.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Civil Society
--------------
- Opposition Leader Jailed and Fined (para. 2)
- Three Activists Receive Jail Sentences (para. 3)
- GOB Introduces Residential Registration (para. 4)
- Soligorsk Miners Hold Twenty-Four Hour Strike (para. 5)
- Religious Leaders Discuss Freedom of Conscience (para. 6)
- Supreme Court Denies Labor Group Registration (para. 7)
Domestic Economy
--------------
- GOB Adopts New Energy Plan (para. 8)
International Trade
--------------
- GOB Grants New Seafood Import Licenses (para. 9)
- Reserve Cigarette Import Quotas Distributed(para. 10)
- Quote of the Week (para. 11)
--------------
Civil Society
--------------
2. Opposition Leader Jailed and Fined
A Baranovichi District Court judge sentenced opposition leader and
Belarus Christian Democracy Co-Chairperson Pavel Severinets to 17
days in jail and a fine of 620,000 rubles (USD 290) on September 10.
Severinets was convicted of disorderly conduct and participating in
an unauthorized demonstration. Police detained Severinets at the
Baranovichi District Courthouse where he joined a demonstration in
support of a Malady Front member standing trial on criminal charges.
Also detained and released were a Radio Liberty reporter, France
Press and Reuters photo correspondents, and an independent local
journalist.
3. Three Activists Receive Jail Sentences
An Orsha District Court Judge sentenced Belarusian Christian
Democracy co-chair Denis Sadovsky to five days in jail on September
10. Sadovsky and other activists, including prominent dissident
artist Ales Pushkin and youth activist Aleksey Yanushevsky, were
arrested on September 8 near Orsha where the opposition was set to
hold a music festival to celebrate the anniversary of a medieval
battle. Pushkin and Yanushevsky were tried behind closed doors,
found guilty of petty hooliganism, and sentenced to seven days in
jail after being accused of throwing a state flag out of the window
of the Orsha district police station. Pushkin admitted his sole
guilt of disrespect to official state symbols, but demanded to be
tried under the criminal code, asked for the release of Yanushevsky,
and has reportedly begun a hunger strike.
4. GOB Introduces Residential Registration
President Lukashenko signed an edict on September 10 to abolish
Soviet-era resident permits and to introduce a new residential
registration system starting next year. Under the old law, resident
permits were mandatory and were necessary in order to obtain
employment in the area of residence. The new regulations increase
the mandated living space per capita - 20 square meters in Minsk and
15 square meters elsewhere in Belarus. The edict also increases
controls over foreign residents, allowing for official visits to
homes to confirm claimed residency.
5. Soligorsk Miners Hold Twenty-Four Hour Strike
On September 9, miners and underground servicemen of the Soligorsk
potash fertilizer factory Belaruskali held a 24-hour preventive
strike. According to Independnet Miners' Trade Union Head Vassily
Nikityuk, employees were protesting significant cuts of social and
retirement benefits for working in hazardous conditions. Nikityuk
says the factory's administration assured the miners they would look
into the issue, but the miners are prepared to strike indefinitely
if the GOB does not meet their demands.
6. Religious Leaders Discuss Freedom of Conscience
Twenty Protestant pastors and civil society activists convened a
meeting on September 7 to discuss their ongoing Campaign for
Advocating Religious Freedom Rights. New Life Church (NLC) Lawyer
Sergey Lukanin stated that activists had collected over 27,000
MINSK 00000786 002 OF 002
signatures appealing to the Constitutional Court to challenge the
controversial and restrictive 2002 religion law. Meeting
participants also voted for closer cooperation with other Christian
communities, and to reach a goal of 50,000 signatures by the end of
November 2007. The group also adopted an agenda for raising
awareness of religious freedom violations and legal impediments to
worship.
7. Supreme Court Denies Labor Group Registration
The Supreme Court on September 10 denied an appeal filed by a group
of trade union and opposition activists pushing for labor laws and
regulations changes. The group sought registration with the Central
Election Commission (CEC) in order to launch a signature collection
campaign to initiate a referendum abolishing employees' obligation
to sign fixed-term labor contracts. The CEC refused registration in
June 2007 citing insufficient attendance at the group's founding
conference on May 1. The group's head, Gennady Fedynich, maintained
that the court's denial was expected, and the group would file a
case with the UN Human Rights Council.
--------------
Domestic Economy
--------------
8. GOB Adopts New Energy Plan
The Presidential Administration announced on September 11 the GOB's
new energy plan, which envisages a reduction of imported Russian
natural gas from 80 percent to 50 percent of total domestic energy
consumption. According to the plan, Belarus will continue to
diversify energy and fuel sources by importing oil and gas from the
Caspian region, Iran, Venezuela, sourcing coal from Ukraine and
Poland, and building three new coal-fired power plants. The GOB
also plans to increase fuel oil reserves by constructing gas storage
facilities. The plan assumes energy consumption will increase by 30
percent by 2020.
--------------
International Trade
--------------
9. GOB Grants New Seafood Import Licenses
The Presidential Administration announced on September 7 that 29
Belarusian companies received licenses to import fish and seafood in
2007. The number of grantees fell from 62 last year. Fourteen
importers account for 84 percent of all supplies in 2006. Currently
licensed companies will be able to import fish until October 1,
2007, while the new licensees will start importing seafood as soon
as they receive their certificates. President Lukashenko personally
approved the list of authorized companies.
10. Reserve Cigarette Import Quotas Distributed
The government of Belarus has increased the cigarette import quota
for 2007, granting Belarustorg under the Presidential Administration
an additional 67 million cigarettes and British-American Tobacco
Trading Company an additional 30 million. The new quota now stands
at 1.5 billion-cigarettes for the year. Belarus' overall annual
consumption of cigarettes is estimated between 16 and 18 billion.
Under the March 23, 2007 trade agreement with Russia, Belarus is set
to abolish the tobacco import quotas by October 1, 2007.
--------------
11. Quote of the Week
--------------
Well-known Belarusian lawyer and a leader of the Belarusian Social
Democratic Party (Gramada) Igor Rynkevich, supporting the European
March to be held this October:
"For centuries since the times of the Grand Lithuanian Duchy,
Belarus has been a part of European Civilization... [W]hen at the
beginning of the nineties Belarus had the chance to construct its
future on the basis of fast integration into Europe I believed that
it was possible in the shortest period of time. But then we were
thrown aside and finally turned into the European Cuba."
Stewart