News on 15.07.2008

15.07.2008

Lukashenka doesn’t trust law enforcement bodies 33

21:46, — Politics

Leanid Yeryn, Stsyapan Sukharenka, Yury Zhadobin, Vadzim Zaitsau have been appointed KGB heads over the last four years. Secretaries of the Security Council and heads of the Presidential Administration were also frequently changed. On 15 July Lukashenka again changed the heads of the KGB and the Security Council and appointed new chairman of his administration.

New heads of Security Council, KGB and Presidential Administration appointed 11

18:22, — Politics

Yury Zhadobin, headed the Belarusian KGB, is appointed Secretary of the Security Council by Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Aide of the head of state Uladzimir Makei has become a new head of the Presidential Administration.

Lukashenka: “Western model of so-called democracy implanted to us” 32

16:03, — Politics

Economic sanctions by the West have become the topic of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s speech at a meeting with graduates of the department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Command and Staff department of the Military Academy of the Republic of Belarus and the Military Academy of the Russian Federation.

Opposition has key to privatisation 12

15:29, Andrei Sannikov, civil campaign “European Belarus” — Politics

After the explosion in Minsk, the regime uses this tragedy for arrests of activists of the democratic movement of Belarus instead of searching for criminals. An unprecedented campaign on pressing the opposition and the civil society is carried out today. Organising pressing by the financial police of the State Control Committee, the authorities try to discredit the leaders of the democratic forces, human rights activists, journalists, regional opposition activists.

There are only 42 oppositionists out of 1430 members of district electoral commissions (updated) 14

15:13, — Politics

The Central Election Committee of Belarus has accounted for forming 110 district electoral commissions for election of deputies of the “chamber of representatives”. The number of oppositionists there is negligibly small.

Syarhei Kalyakin: “Forming of district electoral commissions was non- transparent” 6

13:11, — Politics

The leader of the party of Communists of Belarus Syarhei Kalyakin believes that sessions of regional executive committees where district electoral commissions have been composed, were non- transparent.

General director of Zhdanovichy shopping center let out on bail left for London

13:11, — crime

Yauheni Shyhalau, general director of Zhdanovichy shopping center, on the permission of law-enforcing agencies left for London for treatment for reasons of health.

MEPs called on EU to keep pressure on Lukashenka’s regime 4

10:45, — Politics

The Socialist Group in the European Parliament calls on the EU and its member states to keep pressure on the regime of Lukashenka to ensure democratic elections”.

On question where demonstrators are guarded to, riot militiaman said “To be shot” 16

9:38, — Politics

Yesterday during a crackdown of the action of solidarity with the opposition youth, arrested after the 4 July blast in Minsk, riot militiamen behaved especially rudely.

Russian Embassy has sent protest note to Belarusian Foreign Ministry 7

8:40, — Politics

The Embassy of Russia to Belarus has sent the Belarusian side a protest note on changing the measure of restraint for the Russian national Vladimir Belunin detained in Minsk.