E-bulletin of IISEPS Center for Documentation, N 9, 2005 (only Russian)
Content:
Introduction
Theme of the month:
Beginning of Presidential Election Campaign: Who Started First – Authorities or Opposition?
Person of the month:
Resignation of Dmitry Bulakhov: Backstage Diplomatic Intrigues or “Just Hard to Work Together”?
Document of the month:
Justice Ministry’s Regulation No. 49: Additional Restriction of Freedom or Law Improvement?
Organization of the month:
10 years to BAJ: Body of Corporative Solidarity or Discussion Club?
From IISEPS Desktop:
Prof. O. Manaev Speaking at Congress of Democratic Forces
Introduction:
Dear readers!
In September, forthcoming presidential election has become not only the key issue in kitchen discussions but already acquired the traits of a true election campaign. Chairman of the Central Election Commission L. Ermoshina has announced the planned election date (July 16, 2006), the number of possible contenders (4) and has predicted that “the acting head of state will win yet in the first round.” Some observers consider publication of the planned date of the presidential election in the official mass media the beginning of President’s election campaign.
This is why actual start of the presidential election campaign has become in this issue of Infofocus bulletin the “Topic of Month.” In a number of his speeches, acting president stressed his refusal from an election campaign on the ground that “his deeds will speak for him” and blamed his rivals of playing politics. How reasonable is such a standpoint? A. Lukashenko has already set up his objectives for the next five years at the congresses of the Belarusian Trade Union Federation and the Belarusian Youth Union. Observers think that in this way the head of state has aired his key election slogans. You may read about this in the commentaries of N. Cherginets, Chairman of the Council of Republic’s permanent commission for international affairs and national security and the head of A. Lukashenko’s election headquarters in 2001, and A. Dobrovolsky, Deputy Chairman of the United Civil Party and a leader of V. Goncharik’s – a sole democratic candidate – headquarters at that same election.
In the column “Person of Month” we introduce D. Bulakhov recalled from the position of First Deputy Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee. The state-run mass media didn’t inform about D. Bulakhov’s resignation and even Deputies at the appropriate commission of the House of Representatives gave no comments as unaware of the fact. Non-state mass media noted that D. Bulakhov was one of the last politicians who came to power with A. Lukashenko in 1994. Remarkably, D. Bulakhov’s resignation happened in the period when Russia actually reduced its diplomatic presence in Minsk – there’s no Russia’s Ambassador in Belarus from July of 2005. Can this resignation be connected with a backstage bargaining between the official Minsk and Moscow on the candidature of Russia’s ambassador, or is this simply in that First Deputy and Chairman of CIS Executive Committee cannot work together? In his interview to IISEPS, D. Bulakhov sums up his work in the CIS and an independent journalist R. Yakovlevsky offers his versions of the events.
This time Regulation of the Belarus Justice Ministry No. 49 “On the formation of public unions and association” of September 13, 2005 is the “Document of Month.” The Regulation requires compulsory registration of civil initiatives, movements and blocs. What is the purpose of this Regulation? What does it mean? Is its adoption connected with the election of a sole candidate for democratic forces? How will the layout at the Belarusian political field change after adoption of the Regulation and coming into force of a new edition of law “On the political parties” and later “On public associations”? Lawyer E. Tonkacheva, expert on freedom of associations, and S. Gaidukevich, Deputy of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party, will try to answer the above questions.
In the column “Organization of Month”, we should like to congratulate our colleagues from the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) on their tenth anniversary. What changed with coming of the BAJ? What Charter objectives of the organization are more demanded and why? What differs BAJ from the Union of Journalists? We offer you the opinion of A. Zimovsky, General Director of the Capital TV company, and A. Pisalnik, former editor of Polish newspaper Glos znad Niemna.
Finally, the column “IISEPS Desktop” features the speech of the IISEPS Director Oleg Manaev delivered on October 1, 2005 at the Congress of Democratic Forces.
We do hope that you will find these materials helpful and interesting. All feedbacks are mostly welcome!
IISEPS executive board