E-bulletin of IISEPS Center for Documentation, N 4, 2003 (only Russian)
Content:
Introduction
Theme of the month:
Annual message of the president: new perspective and old myths
Document of the month:
UN resolution about human rights violation in Belarus: policy of double standards or mechanism of democracy?
Organization of the month:
Public movement “For better life”: the force we have been waiting for or informational event?
From IISEPS working table:
Ice is moving
New force
Honesty of count of votes raises doubts
Secrecy of prescheduled voting
Spring aggravation of integration moods
What the Belarusians expect from integration with Russia
The Belarusians are mostly concerned over economic problems
Introduction:
Dear readers!
The next issue of e-bulletin of IISEPS Centre for Documentation is represented to your attention. One of the main events of the past month was the president’s annual message to Belarusian people and the Parliament of Belarus. A. Lukashenko spoke to members of parliament about foreign and home policy for four hours, not having forgotten to criticize his opponents. Were there any new theses in president’s message? What priorities are made in a context of today’s Belarusian reality? Whether the message is a policy program or a populist demagogy? Read about it in comments to the “Theme of the month” of O. Abramova, the deputy of the House of Representatives and M. Gryb, the chairman of Belarusian Helsinki Committee Supervisory Council.
Though there were enough events on political stage of Belarus, nevertheless, in our opinion, no politician acted actively enough. So we think its better not to imagine the “Person of the month” but to leave this section free.
In April the “Document of the month”, undoubtedly, was the Resolution of the United Nations on violation of human rights in Belarus, accepted in Geneva by the Commission on Human Rights. Whether the resolution is the way for Belarusian authority to democracy or the mechanism of political pressure? Whether it reflects a real situation with human rights in Belarus? What consequences for Belarus will it entail? We wanted to learn the opinion of both non state experts and officials. However our requests to various state structures to comment the Resolution of the United Nations have remained with no answer (and it show certain position!). So we represent official opinion basing on the Constant Representative of Belarus in international organizations in Geneva S. Alejnik’s statement made at United Nations 59-th session on human rights. G. Pogonyajlo, human right defender of Belarusian Helsinki Committee also expresses his opinion concerning the document.
Creation of a new social movement “For better life” was declared in April. We represent it in the section “Organization of the month”. The organizing committee of the movement included many known persons. Deputy of the House of Representatives general V. Frolov whom we represented few times in “Infofocus” became its chairman. What are the reasons of creation of the movement and what resources may it expect? What are the prospects of the organization? These questions are answered by experts – politologist, PhD., political expert of “Narodnaya Volya” V. Podgol and ATN observer, the chief of National Press Center Informational and Analytical Department P. Akulov.
Besides in this issue the most interesting results of public opinion poll recently carried out by IISEPS are offered to your attention. We hope, offered materials will be interesting and useful for you. We are waiting for your responses, remarks and offers!
IISEPS executive board