Today the candidate of the united democratic forces of Belarus Alyaksandr Milinkevich had a meeting with the head of the CIS observation mission Vladimir Rushajlo. A. Milinkevich attracted attention of Mr Rushajlo to numerous violations of the Electoral Code during the electoral campaign in Belarus, which had been neglected by the CIS observers so far.

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Activists of the “Union For Democracy Support in Belarus” have put up a tent in front of the Belarusian Embassy in Warsaw. The activists of the organization express their solidarity with fighting Belarus. Belarusian national white-red-white flags, jeans flags are unfurled over the tent. The picketing is to continue until the presidential elections on March 19. The organizer of the action, chairman of the “Union for Democracy Support in Belarus” Anton Tsyalezhnikau tells about the4 action “Week of Solidarity with Belarus”.

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“Today Lukashenka cannot win even 50% of votes. According to the information of sociologists, Lukashenka’s rating is 43% today. And the popularity of Alyaksandr Milinkevich is constantly growing. A month ago, before televised addresses and stump over the country, crowds of people gathered for the meetings with the single candidate, and his rating was more than 30%. Today it is much higher. It means that a runoff should take place in the country. And we are confident that we are bound to win in the second round, because Lukashenka will get less votes in it,” told the head of campaign headquarters of Alyaksandr Milinkevich, Syarhei Kalyakin.

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New facts about unprecedented compulsion of Belarusian citizens to take part in early voting are received on the hot line of the United Civil Party. More than 100 calls, dozens of emails have been received. Voters are forces to participate in early voting in different military units of Belarus, in universities of Homel, Minks, Mahilyou, at “Electroset” enterprise in Slutsk, in the capital and regional departments of police. The methods the authorities apply to coerce voters, are the same everywhere: threats to dismiss, to evict from a hostel, and promises to give additional day off.

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Authorities arrested nearly two dozen opposition activists and confiscated the entire print run of the largest independent newspaper, as Belarusians cast early ballots for Sunday`s presidential vote, which the opposition fears will be rigged in favour of the authoritarian incumbent.

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Since the fall of Communism sixteen years ago, the Czech Republic has felt a sense of responsibility to help promote democracy in countries where basic human rights are frequently violated. The Czech government openly criticises the Castro regime, calls for an independent Tibet, and actively supported the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. But what are Czechs doing to help promote democracy in Belarus, where the press is censored, any form of political dissent is a punishable offence, and the use of Russian is more common than the native Belarusian?

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“The electoral campaign in Belarus looks like a continuous criminal case, and the major criminals are representatives of the authorities,” told the head of the electoral headquarters of the single candidate, Syarhei Kalyakin, commenting on Belarusian electoral campaign developments at the today’s press conference in Minsk. “We are addressing the authorities and security agencies: do not execute criminal orders. Take the side of the people. On March 19 we are going to gather on the square absolutely peacefully. We want to live in a peaceful, democratic country, where laws and Constitution are observed”.

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The leader of the United Civil Party, an electioneering agent of the single presidential candidate Anatol Lyabedzka has been detained today in Minsk by riot policemen… for parking a car in a wrong place. The UCP leader was taken to the police department of Savetski district of Minsk. At the moment the things in his car are being distrained. Independent newspapers with imprint, informational materials about the single candidate and blue ribbons are found in his car.

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Today Minsk city executive committee has issued an official permission for holding a big concert of Belarusian musicians and the meeting with single democratic candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich.

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8 observers, two Swedish and 6 Danish citizens, arrived to take part in observation over the early voting in Belarus, representing a monitoring group of SILBA, are forced to leave the country. This decision has been made by the government of the country, the BBC News inform.

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Candidate for the President’s post of Belarus, former BSU rector Aliaksandr Kazulin urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to impact the situation in the country, to prevent forging of the election outcome and violent measures towards the people.

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Polish President Lech Kaczyński has said today during his visit to Vilnius that Poland “supports democratic changes in Belarus” and “expects to view progress in this regard”.

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Alyaksandr Milinkevich, a candidate of the united oppositional forces of Belarus. offers the head of the CIS observation mission Uladzimir Rushajla to meet and discuss the political situation in Belarus in the run-up to the presidential elections.

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Democratic forces candidate for the President’s post Alyaxandr Milinkevich addressed members of local and region election commissions for the Belarusian President’s election. “I address you, your consciousness and dignity: do not give way to the administrative pressure caused by the powers, perform you duty honestly, don’t allow falsifications during the voting. Don’t deceive the people. Sooner or later, the justice will rule our country. Belarus will be a free state with honest and faire power chosen by the PEOPLE”, - the democratic forces leader declares.

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Andrzej Poczobut, a Grodno-based activist of the Polish ethnic community in Belarus, was sentenced to 10 days in jail on a charge of petty hooliganism under Article 156 of the Administrative Offenses Code, while another activist, Jozef Porzecki, received a seven-day-day jail sentence on the same charge.

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Minsk, 15 March. Representatives of the Ukrainian embassy in Minsk on Tuesday appealed the jail sentences handed down to five compatriots grabbed by police after a March 12 opposition rally in the Belarusian capital.

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