E-bulletin of IISEPS Center for Documentation, N 8, 2006 (only Russian)
Content:
Introduction
Theme of the month:
Diplomatic Porno-scandal: Lesson for Countrymen or Challenge to Europe?
Person of the month:
Alexander Yaroshuk: True Decision or Promotion Move?
Document of the month:
Draft Law “On Public Opinion Polls”: Absolute Control or Absolute Lack of Control?
Organization of the month:
Unregistered Public Association “Partnership”: Trial or Reprisal?
From IISEPS Desktop:
View of USA and Russia from Belarus
Who needs this country?
Introduction:
Dear readers!
We offer to your attention the next issue of Infofocus bulletin. Quite unexpectedly, the “Topic of Month” in August is a diplomatic scandal. On July 30 the First National TV channel broadcasted a video allegedly taken by services in the apartment of a Latvian diplomat who demonstrated a whole set of homosexual coituses. Taking into account all the problems in the relations between Belarus and the EU countries, the very broadcasting of such a movie raised a number of questions. What was the true goal of the telecast? What audience did this video target? How does such international activity agree with ideological statements about European choice of Belarus? We offer you the opinion of our media expert L. Mindlin as well as the official comment of M. Vanshina, Head of the Interior Ministry’s Press Service, since all the experts working for state-run organizations denounced any comments.
This time our “Person of Month” column is given to A. Yaroshuk, Chairman of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions. In early August Board of the European Commission passed the draft on temporary exclusion of Belarus from the General System of Preferences, so the leader of democratic trade unions once again appeared in the center of focus. Our experts V. Karbalevich, political scientist, and I. Koganets, Press Secretary of the Chairman of trade union federation, will share their standpoints and say whether trade benefits for Belarus may be repealed and whether the claims of the European Commission are grounded. They will also give their comments on the decision to affiliate A. Yaroshuk into the National Council.
The activity of the Belarusian Themis led it directly into the “Organization of Month.” During August all non-state press closely watched over the court trial against activists of unregistered organization “Partnership.” State-run newspapers pretended they didn’t notice the proceedings. Our expert S. Antonchik, Deputy of the XIIth Supreme Council, will air his viewpoints about chances for public organizations to get registered in Belarus as well as about the reasons for a closed trial and for such a hard sentence.
The “Document of Month” column features the draft law “On Public Opinion Polls” developed by the Council of Ministers. What is the necessity for such a draft? Won’t its adoption take to the notorious experience of the USSR when sociological data collected at different levels finally appeared closed not only for the society but for the country’s authorities as well? Are we to expect greater openness on the part of state sociological agencies which as soon as the law passes will become absolute monopolists at the market of sociological researches in the political field? We asked these questions to our experts O. Abramova, Deputy of the House of Representatives [National Assembly], and A. Dobrovolsky, member of the national committee of the United Civil Party.
On the “IISEPS Desktop,” we offer to your attention two researches(“Who Needs This Country?” and “View of USA and Russia from Belarus”) prepared based on public opinion polls conducted by independent sociologists in late June.
IISEPS executive board