No to dictatorial privatisation!

11:14 To sell out everything!

Lukashenka’s administration offers unrealistic projects to sell out items of state-owned property and double the GDP. 

17:41 Lukashenka ready to cede control over Beltransgaz and Mozyr oil refinery to Russia

Alyaksandr Lukashenka finds it possible to yield the controlling stake in Beltransgaz open joint-stock company and Mozyr oil refinery open joint-stock company. 

8:48 Are Lukashenka’s German partners Russian agents?

German mass media write that Russian spies held senior positions in the entourage of Premiere of Germany's federal state of Brandenburg. 

9:07 Belarusian ruler giving away plants to Russian oligarchs

Alyaksandr Lukashenka gave Dialek pharmaceutical company to Russian businessman Vladimir Bryntsalov. 

17:00 Lukashenka to Germans: “We won’t agree to privatization for nothing”

“We won’t cave in and crawl to the European Union,” stated the Belarusian dictator at the meeting with German business representatives. 

9:20 Lukashenka sells out factories to Russian oligarchs

A Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko refused the offer of the Belarusian ruler to buy a chemical plant. 

13:32 Shushkevich: West should prevent visit of Belarusian dictator to Prague

If Western politicians intend to defend democratic principles, they should not retract from the policy of isolation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka and invite him to the EU summit in Prague. 

9:35 Lies again

When visiting Belkommunmash enterprise, Alyaksandr Lukashenka said he had warned Belarusians about the devaluation on December 18. “I gave a hint, I said we wouldn’t hold the ruble,” he told. 

14:06 What can “cosmetic” liberalization give to Belarus?

The strategy of the European Union towards Belarus and 12 concrete recommendations on democratization have been shortened to 5 orally. Minsk has answered to it by its unofficial strategy. In the written form Belarusian authorities have particularized three oral promises. 

15:16 Is Lukashenka against dictatorial privatisation?

Speaking at the session on corruption control, Alyaksandr Lukashenka showed nervous reaction to statement of opposition leaders about the current “privatisation”. “In this difficult period, some park-bench opposition politicians said about the coming stock privatisation and property redistribution,” he said. 

16:03 Russia wants tie Belarus to Russian ruble

In his first address to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev urged to use Russian ruble instead of American dollar in settlement with many countries, especially the CIS countries. Economists think it is unprofitable for Belarus, as the country will bear more losses. 

16:10 Lukashenka: “Don’t expect Russians to buy everything”

When considering personnel affairs today, Alyaksandr Lukashenka dedicated the greatest part of his speech to the financial crisis. 

15:26 Rulers ready to sell 25% of shares of largest banks of the country

Belarusian authorities can sell up to 25% of shares of Belarusbank, Belagroprombank, and controlling blocks of shares of BPS-Bank and Belinvestbank. 

13:07 Lukashenka: Next meeting with Medvedev will be remarkable

At the consultations on the issues of foreign and home policy Alyaksandr Lukashenka told what the next session of the Supreme state council of the “union state” which is to take place in November-December this year would look like. To his mind, it would be “a special state council”. 

11:08 Bruce Jackson: Removing Lukashenka from visa ban is a mistake, both strategically and morally

According to influential American expert Bruce Jackson, president of the Project on Transitional Democracies NGO, Europe started rapprochement and almost hugged “the last dictator of Europe” in response to Russia’s aggression against Georgia. 

17:25 Is Russia granting loan in exchange for Belarusian enterprises?

Deputy minister of finance of Russia Dmitry Pankin told requirements for granting a loan for Belarus. 

19:30 “The China Syndrome”

Lifting of the EU sanctions against Alyaksandr Lukashenka has become a sensational event in the life of Belarus. It has happened despite of the fact that the “parliamentary elections” had been recognised as undemocratic and not free by the world community. Over the last week it has become obvious that many people understand the meaning of this event in a polar opposite way. And it is getting rather dangerous now. 

15:56 Mikhail Marynich: There is desire to buy Belarusian petroleum and chemical industry for next to nothing

A number of large Russian companies have frozen their investment projects in Belarus. This specifically concerns petroleum and chemical industry. Experts link such changes to the global financial crisis. 

11:17 Alexander Rar: “Lukashenka is Belarusian Yanukovych”

Yesterday a public teleconference with notorious German political analyst, an expert of the German Council on Foreign Policy, a director of Russia and Eurasia centre was held by the Belarusian TV. In fact, the German political analyst acted as a lobbyist of the Belarusian dictator in Europe. 

8:37 Twin souls (Photo)

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb admired a meeting with dictator Lukashenka and foreign minister Martynau, judging by Stubb’s remarks during his visit to Minsk. Stubb noticed many positive things in Belarus. It seems he takes cheated elections and a preliminary list of MPs as steps in right direction. 

13:51 Andrei Sannikov: “That mustn’t be secret agreements with regime”

The leader of the civil campaign “European Belarus” comments on the visit of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Alexander Stubb and invitation of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry head to the session of the EU foreign Ministers. 

12:10 Shares of Belarusian enterprises sold to unknown buyers

The Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange (BCSE) registered dealing on purchasing shares of Belarusian enterprises by Harvest Invest Group. 

15:23 Andrei Sannikov: “Solana’s actions hold EU up to ridicule”

Coordinator of the “European Belarus” civil campaign Andrei Sannikov thinks the yesterday’s phone conversation between Javier Solana, the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and Alyaksandr Lukashenka “won’t influence the improving of the situation in Belarus but only give assurance of its impunity to the regime of Lukashenka”. 

12:42 Alyaksandr Kazulin: “Privatisation shouldn’t be carried on by means of backstage deals”

Former Belarusian political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin pays a working the politician visit to the US. The politician warned the West of recognition of the “parliamentary election” in Belarus, as its results are already known in the Lukashenka’s administration. 

14:56 Alyaksandr Milinkevich: “It’s very important for us to build dialog between EU and regime”

“Policy shouldn’t be primitive like struggle for moral values. I stand for reducing 12 conditions of the European Commission to three ones,” leader of the “For Freedom” movement Alyaksandr Milinkevich said. 

“We are being put under pressure to take part in the electoral farce, so that the US and Europe could have a chance to recognize Lukashenka, that is, the West is substituting notions, and instead of basic notions and principles of democracy and human rights is trying to play some kind of game,” stated one of the leaders of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Andrei Sannikov in an interview to the Voice of America. 

8:36 Such MPs will vote for bringing Russian troops into Belarus

Why shouldn’t we go to the falsified polls? Because this election is not for the benefit of Belarus. Because results of the voting don’t depend on an elector. Because if people go to the polls, it will be used for falsification. 

12:05 Strange flirting with dictatorship

Belarusian experts say statements of Lithuanian Prime Minister during his meeting with the Belarusian PM are strange. 

11:15 International Federation of Human Rights: “Authorities ignoring opinion of people are illegitimate”

“Opinion of people should come first in democratic countries. If election is undemocratic, people have the right to protest in the streets,” Secretary General of the International Federation of Human Rights Luis Guillermo Perez told in an interview to the Charter’97 press center. 

8:34 Gas cost will rise no matter what concession Lukashenka will make to the Kremlin

The Belarusian government has rubberstamped the key parameters of social and economic development of the country for the year 2009. Experts find these forecasts not so optimistic. 

10:45 Total breakdown in government

Minister of agriculture and provision Syamyon Shapira said at a sitting of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers of the agricultural program had been failed. 

17:41 Syarhei Parsyukevich: “If EU joined the US sanctions, regime of Lukashenka would collapse in half year”

Former political prisoner Syarhei Parsyukevich thinks he and other prisoners had been released due to economic sanctions against the Belarusian regime imposed by the US. 

12:38 Projects on energy efficiency failed: “Neither Chinese nor Iranians came”

It was revealed at the session of the government that 7 from 22 big energy projects, scheduled to be put into operation in 2008, are under a threat of failing. 

12:26 Government waiting for disaster: Gazprom “ate” budget surplus

The latest data, published by the Ministry of Finance of Belarus, are represented by Russian “Gazeta”. Surplus of the Belarusian budget amounts to USD 1.3 billion, or 4.2% GDP, over seven months in 2008. According to the latest data of the Ministry of Finance, the surplus will reach 2.5% GDP, or USP 1.4 billion till the end of 2008. 

12:58 It’s Time to demonstrate power

The nature of the “election” and their result is quite clear today. The number of only 0.07% of democrats out of the total number of precinct commissions’ members vividly demonstrate that the regime is not going to lose control over the chief element of the elections: votes’ count. At the same time opposition representatives make about 40% of the total number of candidates to deputies, the leader of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Andrei Sannikov writes. 

13:11 Authorities to sell Druzhba pipeline

The Belarusian government issued a plan of privatisation of state property for 2008-2010. Among the assets, the state is going to sell the next year, are Gomeltransneft-Druzhba pipeline and Druzhba oil transporting republican unitary enterprise in Navapolatsk. 

15:29 Opposition has key to privatisation

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.