Dictator Lukashenko Declared a War Against People of Belarus on December 19th 2010

After 16 years in office, illegitimate President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko appeared headed for another five-year term in a controversial election Sunday, December 19th, 2010, that was quickly followed by violent late-night street clashes and accusations of vote fraud from human rights groups and opposition presidential candidates.

Final results announced by the State's Central Election Commission indicated that Lukashenko received 79.7% of the vote, after 100% was counted. Nevertheless, exit-polls' data, conducted by EcooM experts, show that only 72% of people have voted for the current head of state. The second place has been given to Andrey Sannikov, followed by Vladimir Neklyaev (4-5% of the vote).

Moreover, and what is interesting and, probably, close to real results of the elections is the exit-polls by TNS Ukraine which indicates that only about 40% of Belarusians voted for Lukashenko.

According to TNS, Alexander Lukashenko, in the first round of the presidential elections in Belarus, gained less than 50% of votes. By the way, TNS Ukraine is officially registered by the Belarusian Central Election Commission. And according to TNS Ukraine, Lukashenka has got 42% of votes, followed by opposition candidate Vladimir Neklyaev with 17%, followed by Andrey Sannikov with 13% of votes.

There is no surprise that another presidential elections in Belarus has evolved along with the old scenario; the voting was forged, once again the opposition was not allowed to take part in vote counting, observers witnessed numerous violations, many voters were forced by officials to take part in the pre-election, the candidates for President had no access to the television and other media - just like during the last 16 years.

To raise a protest against the fraud, six oppositional candidates for President - Andrey Sannikov, Vladimir Neklayev, Grigoriy Kostusev, Yaroslav Romanchuk, Vitaliy Rymashevskiy and Nikolay Statkevich - called upon people to come to October Square in Minsk on December 19th at 8:00 pm.

At 8:40 pm thousands gathered in the square. Just before that it was announced that the headquarters of Vladimir Neklayev were seized by the special police forces. Activists of Neklayev´s campaign were supposed to bring loudspeakers to the square, but special police units seized the vehicle with the equipment. Everyone was forced to lie down facing the ground. The candidate himself was beaten up and driven away in an ambulance. The equipment was confiscated.

Nevertheless, several loudspeakers reached the square, where candidates for President - Andreiy Sannikov, Nikolay Statkevich, Vitaliy Rymashevskiy, Grigoriy Kostusiov, Yaroslav Romanchuk, and Dmitriy Uss - had arrived. The candidates addressed tens of thousands of people who had gathered there, and announced that according to independent exit-polls, Lukashenko had got only 31% in the entire country. He lost the election and the second round was to be expected.

"If there is no second round, then Lukashenko is indeed a tyrant and dictator," Sergei Kalyakin, the head of the campaign "For Faire Election" said. Furthermore, he described the fraud taking place during the voting and claimed the election to be another farce.

October Square was entirely filled with people. Even the skating ring deliberately arranged to cover nearly the entire square did not stop the demonstrators - they were standing on the ice. People were chanting "Lukashenko, Go Away!", "We demand free election!", "New election without Lukashenko!"

Candidate for President Andrey Sannikov announced the collapse of Lukashenko´s regime and declared a newly established Government of National Rescue. The Government of National Rescue would include the democratic candidates for President who had come to the square.

The candidates claimed that another, free election - this time without Lukashenko - must be negotiated with the government. Those who had gathered on the square started moving along the Independence Avenue towards the Independence Square.

Tens of thousands of Belarusians filled the avenue, both the road and the pavement. The crowd demanded new and free election, and their slogans were heard all over the city center. Drivers left their cars and joined the rally. The demonstrators called their friends´ cell phones and urged them to come to the square, to raise the protest, not to be afraid.

Loudspeakers were installed on the Independence Square, and on behalf of all the candidates for the President who were there (at that moment, all candidates who claimed their protest were there, apart from Yaroslav Romanchuk), Andrey Sannikov announced that the Government of National Rescue was ready to negotiate with the authorities.

The candidates for President demanded to be let in to the Government building in order to hold a peaceful talks.

At that time, the demonstrators moved to decisive actions. Hundreds of strong men approached the entrance to the Government building and knocked to the doors. The windows shattered revealing closets! The doors of the House of Government were barricaded from the people. The closets were dammed up by special police units.

During 20 minutes the demonstrators tried to throw down the closets and enter the building. Slogans "Lukashenko, Go away!" and "We want talks!" were heard from the square.

Meanwhile, hundreds of fully equipped soldiers of special interior forces ran out from the left wing of the Government building. They had military boots, helmets and shields. The soldiers attacked the people and started to beat them up. The demonstrators were falling down on the ice. They were trampled and kicked. There, under the feet of special police units, was charter97.org editor Natalia Radzina. The police were beating her up and kicking her in her head, until someone from the crowd dragged her from under their feet.

According to witnesses, the police were holding electroshockers. Moreover, unknown gas was used against the demonstrators. All that made people move away from the entrance to the Government building, but nobody left the square.

The people remained standing on the square chanting "We want talks!" It was announced then that the talks would be held. The candidates approached the House of Government; high military officials who had just arrived to the square were heading the same way.

And at that moment, when the negotiations were already on (!), thousands (!) of soldiers of special forces ran out from behind the building and started to beat up the demonstrators. Ten military trucks drove out to the square; hundreds of people were beaten up and "packed" to the trucks.

Shortly after that, candidate for President Andrey Sannikov was pushed on the ground and beaten up. When he and his wife were about to drive to the hospital, their car was stopped. Sannikov was dragged ouside, beaten up once again and driven away. His wife Irina Khalip was pushed to another car; the police beat her head against glass.

Meanwhile, the Independence Square was surrounded by trucks with the military. Soldiers equipped with body armor and helmets formed a chain preventing people from approaching the House of Government, while special police units were beating up and detaining the demonstrators.

After that the special forces blocked all avenues so that nobody could walk out to the street again.

According to human rights activists, from 200 to 500 people were detained. They were taken to the special distribution station on Okrestina Street and to the temporary prison of Zhodino. Candidates for President Kostusev, Statkevich and Rymashevsky were arrested after the rally, along with Andrey Sannikov. Natalia Koliada, the head of the Belarusian Free Theater, was also arrested. Head of the human rights service of the civil initiative European Belarus Lidia Chistova is at the hospital with a cranio-cerebral trauma. Hundreds of people were assaulted; some of them were taken to the hospital of Interior Ministry with cranio-cerebral traumas and smashed heads.

Information about arrests and detentions was coming during the whole night of December 20th, 2010. Special Forces officials in civil uniforms took Vladimir Neklayev right from the hospital bed. Leader of the United Civil Party Anatoliy Lebedko was detained at his home.

The Belarusians were again urged to come out to the Independence Square on December 20th, at 6:00 pm. "We will not leave! We must fight for our freedom and our choice!" claimed the opposition leaders. Now we must fight for the liberation of the candidates for President, whom the people of Belarus have given their votes.

Also during the suppress of the demonstration against the falsifications in Minsk in the evening on December 19th, 2010 various journalists were beaten up.

Injured in different scale where the journalists: Natalia Radina (charter97.org), Ruslan Gorbachev (gazeta.by), Viktor Tolochko (BelTA), Ales Piletsky («Nasha Niva»), John Hill (The New York Times)

Irina Khalip, correspondent of the Russian newspaper «Novaya Gazeta», wife of the candidate to the presidency of Belarus Andrey Sannikov, was detained. About 500 people were arrested that night.

The special forces where beating us at heads. If someone woudn't have taken me away from their boots - they would have definitely killed me. It seems I have a concussion, but I've got to continue working», told BelaPAN the editor of charter97.org Natalia Radina.

There is a report that several cameramen from the Russia Today TV Channel Anton Kharchenko and Viktor Filiaev, photographer Andrey Lenkevich are injured. Correspondents of the web-portal tut.by Konstantin Lashkevich and photocorrespondent of «BelGazeta» Vadim Zamirovsky are detained.

Non-Free Non-Fair Presidential Elections 2010 Confirmed Belarus as the Last Dictatorship in Europe!

High Officials of Belarus are Suspected to be Involved into Abductions and Murders!

(Suspicious Circumstances of Oleg Bebenin´s Death)

Oleg Bebenin was one of the founders and leaders of Charter97.org website.

The body of Oleg Bebenin was found on September 3rd, 2010 at 5.30 p.m. in his summer cottage not far from Minsk. It has turned out that during the initial inspection of the body a constriction mark was found on the neck of Bebenin, which can be a sign of both a suicide and of a violent death by suffocation or strangulation.

Oleg Bebenin was born in 1974. He graduated from the Belarusian State University, department of journalism. In 1990s he occupied the position of the Deputy Chief Editor of "Imya" (Name), an independent Belarusian newspaper. Since 1998 he was the Founder and the Head of charter97.org website. Oleg Bebenin had a wife and two sons.

A Russian TV channel "Vesti" believes that investigators have made a statement about Oleg Bebenin´s suicide too quickly.

As is reported in "Vesti Nedeli" programme on Sunday, on September 3 in the evening an oppositional journalist Oleg Bebenin was found dead in his summer house in the outskirts of Minsk. He was an audacious critic of Lukashenko and his regime and an active participant of "Charter´97". He was just 36.

It was very quickly stated by investigation agencies that it had been a suicide. The journalist reportedly hanged himself. However neither his family nor acquaintances believe this version and speak about a murder. Oleg Bebenin had vast plans, and he had not left a suicide note. Besides, the journalist was conducting investigation of activities of the so-called "death squadrons" and mysterious disappearances of Belarusian politicians. Meanwhile, the date of the presidential election is to be announced in Belarus soon.

Andrey Sannikov, the leader of "European Belarus" and possible opposition presidential candidate states that the death of the Founder and the Leader of Charter97.org website raises many doubts:
"On request of the family we have withheld information before the results of medico-legal investigation. I visited the site of the tragedy and I must say that I do not believe in suicide of Oleg Bebenin. Many things rise serious doubts. A note has not been found, the latest SMS received by his friends show he planned to go to the cinema on Thursday evening. A week ago Oleg and his family returned from a holiday in Greece. It is strange that the Interior Affairs Ministry is already disseminating the story about his suicide, without waiting for the results of the medico-legal investigation."

"We had extensive plans, we met every day. Oleg is my friend; he is the main member of my team, a brilliant journalist and a very reliable person. I offer my sincere condolences to his wife, parents and all his relatives" - Andrey Sannikov said.

Dmitriy Bondarenko, Charter´97 Coordinator, has commented on the official results of examination of the circumstances surrounding the death of Oleg Bebenin:
"I would like to say that Oleg was not simply a journalist. In a possible Belarusian presidential campaign he was to become one of the leaders of the headquarters of the oppositional candidate for presidency Andrey Sannikov. And all of a sudden the person commits suicide. There is no motive for such behaviour. There is no suicide note, there are no problems at work, he has a dearly loved wife, sons, parents, a brother. The man collects his friends for a premiere screening of a film. The SMS which is known to be the last sent by him was about his coming to "October" cinema at 8 p.m. And then again, all of a sudden the person disappears for about 24 hours, not answering phone calls.

There is a wide gap between the time of death indicated by experts, and it is recorded in the documents. Policemen and workers of prosecutor´s office, including a forensic expert, who arrived to the summer house yesterday, documented that the death occurred around 2 p.m. on September 3. In the certificate of death issued to the family the date of death was the 2nd of September. That means, the gap is more than 15 hours.

Oleg cherished his little son. He was found in a noose made of a rope from a child´s hammock. Such thing is simply impossible. People, who saw Oleg on the day before, said that he was cheerful and energetic, and planned to go to the cinema. He said to his family that he planned some meeting during afternoon on the 2nd of September. We are still trying to find out whom he was to meet and whether they met.

As for the results of the expert examination: in fact, the results of the biochemical analysis of tissues, body organs and humors are to become known only by Wednesday (September 8, 2010). There are lots of other circumstances which make us doubt that Oleg departed out of this world of his own free will," Dmitriy Bondarenko said.

A British Human Rights Organization "Index on Censorship" has raised concerns over the death of one of the leading journalists of Belarus.

As one of the leading lights of Human Rights Organization Charter97, Bebenin had been harassed by the authorities on numerous occasions. In April 1997 he was abducted, reportedly by the KGB, and in September 1999, he was nearly beaten to death by fascist thugs with links to the belarussian KGB. Bebenin ran the charter97.org website, which is the leading source of information on the activities of the Belarussian dictatorship in the country. It comes just 2 months after the implementation of Decree No. 60 - a draconian law that strictly regulates the use of the internet in Belarus.

Mike Harris, the Public Affairs Manager of Index on Censorship, who is in Belarus now said:
"People in Minsk are very nervous, especially those close to Oleg. No suicide note was found, and Oleg just hours before his death had made phone calls to arrange a trip to the cinema with close friends. In recent months he had become increasingly concerned over the safety of fellow human rights activists and feared a repeat of the period 97-99 where he was nearly killed, and scores of dissidents disappeared in suspicious circumstances.
The Presidential election must take place before February next year. So called "president" Lukashenko is tightening the screw on human rights organizations, with arrests and mock executions of youth activists. This "suicide" has sent shock waves through civic society across Belarus," added the British human rights activist.

The Russian media is reporting that the death is likely to have been under the orders of the security services.

In the last year, Charter97 has faced continual intimidation from the authorities. On 6 December 2009, Eugene Afnagel, a youth leader, was kidnapped on the streets of Minsk and taken to the countryside to face a mock execution. Afnagel was told to stop asking questions of the authorities. During summer time of 2010 six youth leaders were subject to kidnappings and mock executions.

On 16 of March, 2010 computers were confiscated in the news office of charter97.org website as part of an indictment in a criminal libel case brought by a former KGB officer.

Recently attention of the KGB and the Interior Affairs Ministry of Belarus was locked on Charter´97. In spring a search was held in its news office and in the apartment of a journalist Iryna Khalip and Andrey Sannikov. Editor-in-chief Natalya Radzina was hit on the face during the search, she told then. The reason for the search was materials of the website about illegal rare animals hunting carried out by high-ranking workers of the Interior Affairs Ministry.

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek stated on learning of the death of Belarusian journalist - Oleg Bebenin:
"I am deeply moved by this sad event in Belarus. Oleg was working to create a more democratic Belarus through his work with Charter97. I call on the Belarusian authorities to carry out a full and transparent investigation into the death of Oleg Bebenin which will clarify all the circumstances around his tragic death. Our thoughts are with Mr Bebenin's friends and family."

On September, 6 the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) sent a letter to the names of Aleksandr Lukashenko, Head of Interior Ministry Anatoliy Kulyashov and General Prosecutor Grigoriy Vasilevich.

"We are extremely concerned about the atmosphere of fear and intimidation of journalists in Belarus and call upon the authorities of the country to do everything possible to ensure a profound investigation of the case of the death of a journalist Oleg Bebenin and to stop the practice of impunity for those who attacks journalists", - the letters signed by Aidan White, the General Secretary of the European Federation of journalists, say.

Besides suspicious circumstances of Oleg Bebenin´s death, EFJ mentions in its letters the threats, which Chef Editor of "Narodnaya Volya" Svetlana Kalinkina received. "We pay your special attention to the fact, that previous loud cases concerning deaths of Belarusian journalists, did not give any clear answers about their fate. Alongside with it are the cases of Dmitriy Zavadskiy, who disappeared on his way to the Minsk airport on July, 7, 2000, and Veranika Cherkasava, who was brutally slain in her apartment on October, 20, 2004", - EFJ letters say.

In the meanwhile the problem of involuntary disappearance is topical for Belarus. In the year of 1999 two famous oppositionists disappeared in the country without leaving a track- former Minister of Internal Affairs Yury Zaharenko and Vice Speaker of the Supreme Council of XIII Convocation Viktor Ganchar, and also a big businessman Anatoliy Krasouskiy. In summer of 2000 year Dmitriy Zavadskiy an operator of Russian TV channel ORT disappeared without leaving a track.

High officials of Belarus are suspected to be involved into abductions and murders.

Belarusian Journalist Oleg Bebenin Found Dead in his Summer Cottage

Oleg Bebenin was one of the founders and leaders of charter97.org website.

The body of Oleg Bebenin was found August 3rd, 2010 at 5.30 p.m. in his summer cottage not far from Minsk.

Oleg Bebenin was born in 1974. He graduated from the Belarusian State University, department of journalism. In 1990s he occupied the position of the deputy chief editor of "Imya", an independent Belarusian newspaper. Since 1998 he was the founder and head of charter97.org website. Oleg Bebenin had a wife and two sons.

What a great coincidence Oleg was working for the main opposition website in Belarus - http://www.charter97.org

New Attacks On Opposition in Belarus in 2010

(Minsk, BELARUS, March 16-17, 2010)

On March 16th, 2010 police burst in Charter'97 website's press-room in Minsk, Belarus. Computers were seized. Editor of site Charter97.org Natallya Radzina was beaten. This is connected with professional activities. At about 3 p.m. police officers and people in mufti have burst in the office rented by journalist Natalya Radzina.

There were 7 persons in the office during the search. Police officers were justifying that by the fact that they are carrying out operative work on finding a person called Igar Svabodzin in frames of criminal case connected with corruption in law-enforcement structures. Policemen seized the computers and other office equipment.

The policemen were using force to break into the flat. As Natalya Radzina came out of door, they ran down the stairs and pushed her to prevent her locking the door. One of the policemen hit Radzina's face damaging her eye. Only after that they demonstrated official order for the search signed by prosecutor of Gomel region Valyantsina Shayevaya.

Inspector of Leninski district police department Alaksandr Tchuy was in charge for the search. About 10 policemen of Leninski district police department and Minsk city police department were taking part in the search together with unidentified persons in black masks. Only police officers captain Andrei Kryvalevich and captain Dzmitry Kanyuhevich identified themselves. Masked people reacted in Nazi hail when they were asked to identify themselves. Eight computers were seized as a result.

"Policemen were dressed in mufti, and behaved like thugs while breaking into the office. They hit my face for executing my professional duty. It is obvious that they are trying to shut us up and to seize our opportunity to say the truth. And it is not occasionally. Just yesterday our site published the information that leader of "European Belarus" Andrei Sannikov will nominate for presidency. Today the office is ruined, journalists beaten, computers confiscated. This is both stupid and terrible. Yes, it will be harder for us to work. But we will continue our work and masked thugs with Nazi hails will not stop us. Lukashenka's regime embarassed itself with its shameful behavior again because they are so afraid of freedom of speech and real opponent on the elections," - said editor of Charter97.org Natalya Radzina.

A special press-conference of "European Belarus" leader Andrei Sannikov, the editor-in-chief of charter97.org website Natallya Radzina (Radina) and a journalist of "Narodnaya Volya" Maryna Koktysh was held on March 17 in Minsk.

We remind that yesterday policemen forced entry to charter97.org news office and seized all computers. The editor-in-chief of the news website Natalya Radzina was punched. Searches wer also held in the flat of "European Belarus" leader Andrei Sannikov and his wife, a well-known journalist Iryna Khalip, in the office of "Narodnaya Volya" newspaper and in the flat of a journalist of the newspaper Maryna Koktysh. During the searches all office equipment and data carriers were seized.

"What is happening has nothing to do with the so-called "hunters' case". It is obvious now. The hunt has been started, if we are speaking about "hunters' case", against independent journalism, independent mass media, and the most popular news outlets, charter97.org website and "Narodnaya Volya" newspaper, "Belarusian partisan" website.

It is no mere chance that these events took place on March 16. It is the Day of Solidarity. Not only searches and attacks have taken place, but the trial over political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, rallies of solidarity disbanded, people are arrested. All day long police, KGB, special services simply demonstrated how they are frightened by these days of solidarity. And solidarity is what we need today. Solidarity of Belarusians and solidarity worldwide. We know that it has aroused a reaction in the world, and the reaction is to become stronger. I can say that Alyaksandr Lukashenka should start forgetting about Western loans, as I do not know who would lobby his interests now, finance the dictatorship which is demonstrating its real face more and more clearly," stated the leader of "European Belarus" civil campaign.
As said by the politician, now the world is also waiting for the reaction of Belarusians to the events taking place in their county.

"Days of solidarity are to become actions of solidarity. And the nearest occasion is our holiday, Freedom Day March 25. We know that organizers have applied for holding a rally, leaflets have appeared, organizational work is done. Nobody should intimidate us, and we shouldn't be intimidated. Belarusians are strong people, but we must understand that not attacks against journalists, against the free press, some politicians, but against the entire Belarusian nation are taking place now. Belarusians should make their statement, demonstrate their reaction to the total lawlessness. The changes are close. I am sure about that, I believe in that. And what is going on now demonstrates that Lukashenka's regime has no answers to really tough challenges of the time, has no answers to the crisis; no reforming of the economic system is taking place, life standards are worsening, and dictatorship simply does not want to hear the truth we are telling Andrei Sannikov noted that repressions will continue: yesterday late in the night policemen tried to burst in the premises of Aleh Bebenin, Charter'97 press-secretary, and to a coordinator of "European Belarus" Zmitser Bandarenka. It is not excluded that these attempts may continue.
"But again, it depends on how we would bear it and on how we would react," Sannikov is convinced.
Belarusians and the world," "European Belarus" leader said.

During the press-conference, Natalya Radzina, charter97.org editor, expressed gratitude to Belarusian and foreign journalists, human rights organizations for their solidarity and support during yesterday's raid to the news office. According to the journalist, the attack of policemen against her and her workers, as well as seizure of al computers, shows that the regime had decided not to wait for July 1, when the hideous Lukashenka's decree on censorship on Internet in Belarus is to come to force.

"The fear of the authorities is obvious. On March 14 we publish Andrei Sannikov's interview, who had stated his intention to run for presidency, on March 16 searches and seizure of equipment is carried out in our news office. The regime is in such a fear that they cannot wait, they need to squeeze, strangle everything free which is still left. Judging by the course of events, a unit of measure of freedom of speech in Belarus could be called 1 chuj, or 1 korzh. Ivan Korzh is KGB man who had been allegedly labeled by journalists, and Alyaksandr Chuj is an investigator of the police department of Leninski district, who with his guys zealously burst into the news office of Charter'97 website. But I want to assure you that you won't be able to suppress us. Yes, it is even more difficult for us to work, but we will perform our professional and human duty - to day the truth," Radzina said.

We remind that yesterday during the asttempt to force entry to the editorial office of the website, policemen in mufti punched the journalist's face. Natalya Radzina has a hematoma of the eye area, and today she is set to complain to the prosecutor's office against such actions of policemen.

During the press-conference a journalist of "Narodnaya Volya" newspaper Martyna Koktysh, whose apartment and the editorial office had been searched too, informed that she read in the documents shown by policemen that a criminal case related to defamation of Homel regional KGB head Ivan Korzh, a formal ground for searches, was initiated on December 31, 2009. The search warrant was written by the head of Homel Interior Affairs Department on February 23, 2010, and the paper that a search should be carried out in the flat of the journalist arrived from Homel to Minsk on March 4. The search was held on March 16. Thus, the warrants for searches had been signed before and were waiting for their time.

Answering questions of journalists what a reaction of the European Union to the events in Belarus should be, Andrei Sannikov stated:
"The reaction of the EU should be unambiguous - they must admit defeat of their inapt policy of "reforming" the dictator, admit that democratization is not taking place on its own. They should understand that there are no democratic institutions, independent press, independent courts in Belarus. And the reaction should be adequate, they should stop playing these games. These games lead to destroying of the nation, to destroying of the independent state".

Boycott to Undemocratic Elections in Belarus 2008!

"The regime has given up on dialogue and democratization by unleashing a real terror against political opposition and the civil society. That is why the democratic forces are to start realization of a different strategy," believes the coordinator of the Charter'97 Zmitser Bandarenka.

- You were one of the initiators of the dialogue of the opposition with the regime. Did this initiative make sense, while the political prisoners are still in prisons, peaceful rallies are brutally disbanded, and Lukashenka publicly insults opposition members on TV?

- It did make sense, but you are right: today is the time for the opposition to abandon the dialogue too. I must remind that in the beginning of the 2007 Belarus was on the edge of an economic catastrophe after the decision of Russia to hike prices of oil and gas imported to our country. There was a threat of losing independence. In this situation the opposition intentionally extended a helping hand to the Belarusian government. No matter what Lukashenka would say today, offering a dialogue by the democratic forces helped to realize a number of investment projects in Belarus, considerably reinforced positions of the country in its talks with Russia, allowed to open credit lines in Europe. One thing is to deal with the last dictatorship in Europe, and the other with the government that have stated their beginning of democratization, readiness to conduct a dialogue with their opposition, and the beginning of a dialogue with the West. And the fact that the leader of the state publicly uses such words as "lousy", "scabby", "hell-raisers", he is just attaching these words to himself, demonstrating his own aggressiveness and lack of good manners.

- Does opposition completely give up on the dialogue with the regime?

- The dialogue opened absolutely new opportunities for the country. During their visits abroad opposition representatives said: in case all political prisoners are released, the US and European countries would have to take steps to meet the Belarusian regime. Recently in Washington we with high-ranking representatives of the US Department of the State discussed a possibility of a visit of Belarusian Foreign Minister and a representative of Lukashenka's administration to the US. America was really ready for a real breakthrough in the relations with our country. Readiness to grant a considerable assistance in solving energy problems of Belarus was mentioned.
If the Belarusian regime released Aleksandr Kazulin before the end of February, as the US and European politicians had been promised, since March 1,2008 we could live in a new Belarus. However, Aleksandr Lukashenko has chosen the side of those his associates who in no way imagine themselves in a democratic, European Belarus.
The opposition would be ready for a dialogue again only in case of real steps of the regime for democratization of the country.
So far the regime has given up on the dialogue and democratization, and unleashed a real terror against political opposition and the civil society. That is why the democratic forces are to start realization of a different strategy.

- How does a new strategy of the opposition could look like?

- The new strategy today is a severe resistance to dictatorship in all directions. In the situation when no liberalization is taking place, we cannot hope that the upcoming election to the "parliament" would be democratic and free, that is why slogans "Boycott to electoral farce!", "Boycott to Lukashenko's regime!", "Boycott to dictatorship!" are appearing on the agenda. The regime itself has pushed the opposition to change the approaches.

- What could the boycott of the election bring? Parties are stating that the electoral campaign gives democrats an additional opportunity to inform the population of Belarus on the situation in the country.

- There are cases in history when boycotts which had been carried out successfully, forced authorities to make considerable concessions at the imminent elections. An unprepared boycott is much worse. For instance, Belarusian opposition used partial boycott at the local elections in 1999 and 2007. It is not effective to announce a boycott of the election in a few days before voting. Such campaigns really result in depression of the society and withdrawal of activists. The boycott of the election in 2000 to a great degree consolidated democratic forces, allowed youth movements to emerge (Zubr, the Young Front). I think nobody would disagree that the defeat in the presidential election in 2001 was connected to the weakness and passiveness of the candidate nominated by the opposition. All the strong candidates either didn't have a right to take part in the election because of imprisonment, or had been murdered.

Boycott-2008 is also to become an obstacle to the intentions to combine the election with a referendum once again, for instance, with a referendum on a Constitutional Act of a Union with Russia.

- But nevertheless, people would be herded to take part in an early voting. How a boycott could be carried out in such conditions?

- The answer is contained in the question. Everybody knows that an early voting is used by dictatorships for mass rigging of election results. In normal conditions, including the elections in the 1990s in Belarus, 3-5% of voters take part in the early voting. That is why it is necessary to organize a control over the number of those who had voted namely on the major day of election. I think, foreign and Belarusian democratic observers are fully able to do that. I would like to remind that in 2000 right after the so-called election the Belarusian TV announced that the election haven't taken place in any regional capital and in Minsk because of a low turnout. And only in a few hours the regime changed the result. However, they had to hold repeat election in one third of city constituencies. Even in Mahilyou a second round was held. After the boycott campaign soldierly spirit of opposition was really strong.

- That is to say, you do not hope that the regime would resort to holding democratic elections, after the chair of the central Election Commission Lidiya Yarmoshyna stated that proposals of the opposition on control over vote count by independent observes are "unworkable", do you?

- I think the situation is to become clear in the middle of June. And starting from this time a boycott campaign by the forces of civil society could be started. At the initial stage parties would try to use opportunities of the election campaign for promotion of their ideas, but facing one more sheer lawlessness, they are to join the boycott. It is possible that not all would support the boycott at once, but finally the majority of democratic structures are to join it.

- Does it mean that after the boycott would be announced, repressions would be stepped up?

- Boycott is a response to repressions. Besides, a considerable enhancement of a solidarity campaign both inside the country and abroad is to become a response to the crackdown by the regime.

- When opposition offered a dialogue to the authorities, it was said that the message was intended for officials primarily. What should the officials who wanted a dialogue do?

- I think that winding up a dialogue with opposition, and especially with the West, shocked many officials. During numerous contacts of Belarusian democrats with state officials, both sanctioned "from above" or informal, we have become convinced again that an absolute majority of these people want positive changes and place their interests on a new democratic Belarus, and Europe. Now officials are to hear about detection of "a new group of corruptionists" from TV screens again. But I think that a new "turn of the screw" won't be long. The dictatorship simply doesn't have resources for that. A form of boycott to dictatorship could be chosen by anyone. It would guarantee actual uniting of all sound people both in opposition and in the government. It is obvious to everyone already that a very little group of people hinders changes in the country. And if they responded a dialogue with new arrests and pushed away an extended hand, we have nothing else to do but to rise to challenge. They, not us, have started the confrontation.