Alexander Lukashenko entitled his officials to set up a working group for developing a new draft constitutional act of the “union state”. According to the political pundits, Alexander Lukashenko is now seeking the most convenient scheme for prolonging his authority for a third term.

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July 7 will mark three years since the abduction of an ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky. On Monday, upon the initiative of Dmitry’s family members and public association “Want to know truth!” in Minsk and other Belarusian towns there will be held actions “Chain of those, who care”. On the same day in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the building, which hosts the OSCE PA session, will be picketed by dozens of people with portraits of missing Belarusians. The action is organized by the Belarusian center, headquartered in Belgium.

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The Belarusian Association of Journalists passed over to the Constitutional court of Belarus an appeal on the cancellation of three provisions of the country’s Penal code, namely #367 (libeling the president of Belarus), 368 (insulting the president of Belarus) and 369 (defaming the state official).

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The session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will open in Rotterdam on July 5. The event will attract the leaders of three Belarusian political parties – BPF, Belarusian Social-Democratic Party (Narodnaya Gromada) and the United Civil Party.

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“The government of Shushkevich in too much a haste made a mistake, when withdrawing the nuclear arms without a preliminary agreement with the interested countries, which could reduce the significant currency profits of the Belarusian budget”, said the chairman of the permanent commission for international affairs and national security of the “council of republic” Nikolai Cherginets.

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The president of Western Germany Johannes Rau called on Alexander Lukashenko to keep to the fundamental values, recognized by the international community. In his Thursday written missive to the head of Belarus on the occasion of the Independence Day of Belarus, Rau emphasized the efforts of EU and Germany to help Belarus set up democracy structures, establish the rule of law and market economy system. Meantime, the message reads that “there’s still a lot to be done ahead”.

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Alexander Lukashenko ordered to set up a working group in order to prepare the new variant of the draft constitutional act of the “union state”. According to the reports of the presidential press-service, the new version is required in case Russia disagrees with the draft project, prepared earlier on by the inter-governmental Belarus-Russian commission.

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In late May the Belarusian movement “For decent life”, set up by the deputies from the “Republic” faction of the “house of representatives”, as well as a range of famous politicians and public figures, declared the start of the massive campaign “For fair elections”. This action represents the signature collection motion among the Belarusian nationals in support of passing amendments to the Electoral code. Their final goal is to carry out in the year 2004 free and fair parliamentary elections. Now it’s already July. How does the campaign keep going?

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The teachers and parents of the lyceum students determined to set up another educational institution. At the July 2 parents’ assembly they unanimously voted in favor of the formation of a new educational institution, called the “Belarusian Lyceum”.

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“We prefer to remain at home rather than study in an ordinary school,” – said the Romantsovs brothers upon the liquidation of the Kolas’ lyceum. Its closure was not only the loss of the country’s only Belarusian-language lyceum, but a real tragedy for this concrete family.

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The military parade, athletes and children with ties were all attributes of yesterday’s festivities, marking the official Independence Day. Opposition failed to spoil Alexander Lukashenko’s good mood. There were no pickets or protests held in central Minsk. There occurred only one scandalous incident – the person, placed in charge of the parade, is the same, which has long been wanted through “Interpol” by the neighboring Lithuania. That is general Vladimir Ushopchik.

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