Andrei Shantarovich, editor-in-chief of the “Mestnaya Gazeta” from the town of Vawkavysk, is on hunger strike for the 15th day. Last day he has become very weak. He is short of breath even with little physical loads, his head is aching.

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Nov. 8 issue - As these lines are being written, the election process is still in full swing. But this week, barring another deadlocked outcome, the campaign that has mesmerized America will be over. What will remain are the challenges that gave rise to this occasionally frenzied battle and the responsibility of dealing with them. No president has faced an agenda of comparable scope. This is not hyperbole; it is the hand history has dealt this generation. Never before has it been necessary to conduct a war with neither front lines nor geographic definition and, at the same time, to rebuild fundamental principles of world order to replace the traditional ones which went up in the smoke of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

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Members of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party “Narodnaya Hramada” initiated a picket. The protest was planned on November 6 at the stadium “Budawnik”, and its participants were to express their attitude to spreading of fascism in toady Belarus and in the world. However, the city executive committee did not sanction the picket, referring to the fact that the measures to guarantee public order and security, medical aid and grounds cleaning after the picket were not indicated in the request, Radio Svaboda informs.

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“I think that Belarusian question, one way or another, is on the agenda of both Republicans and Democrats. In case of Senator Kerry victory Belarusian democratic forces could figure on support of the US. However Bush’s victory would reinforce the continuity of the US policy regarding Belarus, as the Belarus Democracy Act was adopted under the incumbent President. It was he who called the Belarusian regime dictatorship, and it means that there would not be any reassessment of the situation in Belarus,” told the European coalition “Free Belarus” coordinator, former deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Andrei Sannikov, commenting on the elections in the US.

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The stance of the US towards Belarus would not undergo considerable change under any outcome of the presidential elections. This opinion was expressed by American Ambassador in Minsk George Krol, informed the “Trud” newspaper on Wednesday. “The incumbent US President, George Bush, as well as his opponent John Kerry, have many times confirmed their support to the democracy development in Belarus, and desire to have good relations with this country,” told the Ambassador.

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We asked the Charter’97 coordinator Dzmitry Bandarenka to comment on the results of the presidential elections in the US, and how they could affect the situation in Belarus. “It’s a great happiness when elections held in the country are free and democratic, when TV debate are organized, when citizens have a possibility to choose from several candidates. As America today is the only superpower, the whole world is following the elections in the USA, actively supporting or rooting for this or that candidate. I traditionally support Republicans, but whoever is to become American president, we know that it will be a leader of the country with the strongest democracy in the world; the leader of the country which consistently fights dictatorships all over the world, and supports democracies in all countries,” told Dzmitry Bandarenka.

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The Ukrainian civil campaign “Pora” has started the action against rigging of the results of the presidential elections, that took place on October 31. The announced protest actions take place in a form of meetings, pickets, students’ strikes. “Pora” organization has close ties with Serbian movement “Otpor” and Belarusian “Zubr”.

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The Lithuanian Seimas (parliament) on Tuesday adopted a critical resolution on Belarus` October 12-17 parliamentary elections and referendum, condemning the poll as "neither free nor fair," a source with the legislature`s press office told BelaPAN.

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Today`s monthly meeting of European Union foreign ministers will prepare the ground for a visit of interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, timed to coincide with the bloc`s summit -- also in Brussels -- on 4-5 November. The meeting will also examine strategy with respect to Iran ahead of a crucial board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) later this month, the situation in the Middle East, an upcoming summit with Russia, and measures to encourage democratic change in Belarus.

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The Grodno branch of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) has expressed protest against the seven-day jail sentence handed down to reporter Pavel Mozheiko. The journalist, who serves as head of the BAJ branch in the western city, was found guilty of taking part in an unauthorized demonstration staged in early October to protest a huge fine slapped against fellow reporter Yelena Rovbetskaya.

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Presidential elections in the USA are officially finished. The last polling stations closed at 8 a.m. Minsk time in the state of Alaska. At the moment votes counting is continued, and the results are changing rapidly. According to the results of votes count in 80% of precincts, were voting finished, the incumbent President, Republican George Bush leads. According to information at 10 a.m. Minsk time, Bush has 254, and Kerry –242 electors votes. Thus, US President George Bush is close to victory over Senator-Democrat John Kerry in their race for White House, but the problem of provisional ballots in the showdown state Ohio can postpone the final results’ calling.

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