1999

FROM THE EDITORS

The next mysterious death has shocked the Republic of Belarus.

A. Pechersky, the chairman of the Minsk trade union of the businessmen, the leader of the strike committee of the businessmen of the Republic of Belarus was lost in the «car accident» 24.04.99. Was this death accident? Judge. A. Pechersky:

- Supervised over the preparation of all-Belorussian action of the protest of the businessmen which begins from 1.05.99 (termination of payment of the taxes and other payments in the Republic of Belarus, mass meetings, procession and demonstrating),

- Was one of the basic supporters of M. Chigir in his pre-election company on the post of the President of the Republic of Belarus.

- The driver (who has been hired to help A. Pecherskyted recently) was not injured in the “accident” at all.

The large sum of money which the leader of of the businessman’s movement had with him disappeared.

- a. Pechersky frequently said that he had noticed a steadfast attention from the side of the special services to his person for the last half a year.

From our point of view it is the next political murder. On the body of Arnold Pechersky there were obvious traces of struggle and violence. And he was not even 36. This tragedy has deeply shocked us but the action of the protest will be held all the same. Maybe it will be not so powerful as it was planned. If it is necessary we shall support the speeches of the opposition which are to be held on 10.05.99.

The note: in Grodno the large-scale meeting of the protest at Lenin Square is planned, I ask all my supporters to necessarily support this meeting, I won’t be present as according to the decision of the court of Leninsky district from 27.04.99 I am arrested for 13 day on a charge forged by militia of organisation of an unauthorised meeting near the building of the executive committee on 23.04.99, I regarded this as criminal arrangement of the officials of different levels to neutralise the leaders of opposition.

And for the crimes both who ordered them and those who executed the decisions will answer on the full program.

All of you have supported the strike. The authorities were frightened. They have begun to "move". They promised not to touch us for a week on the certification. They promised to go on many questions towards. Will we be deceived again or not, that is the question.

We begin the action of the protest from 1.05.99. It can pass not in an organised way in the republic as the leader of the strike committee left us. Therefore we think to devote all May to the preparation for the decisive "fight" with the fools who control us today. It is necessary to us to accumulate material and human resources. It will be our not last, but the decisive "fight" for our rights. We are going to attract workers, students and advanced intelligentsia to the actions of the protest. We ask all to be organised and not to hide on corners when we call to help. The summer will be hot. The «large money» is necessary. Only we, the businessmen, can give it. Who is ready to give us serious money resources can call on to the chairman of trade union immediately. Everyone will be given a document confirming these contributions. When we come to the office we guarantee to return it in the double size (in dollar equivalent) as tax indulgences, privileges, credits and direct payments. And that we shall come to the office is the question which has already been solved. How soon it will be it depends on you with us.

Putting money into the democracy is also business. And it is a long-term business. It is possible to lose a little bit, but it is possible to ensure better future to you and your children. An example is Poland and Lithuania. The businessmen who put rather small means in the victory above the dictatorship are today the greatest suppliers of the goods and services, they have in the property quite good houses and cars.

Our requirements:

1) On certification of the goods:

- To suspend the requirements on obligatory certification and hygienic registration of the goods at the markets before the creation of conditions for their inexpensive and fast certification in the markets by executive committees of cities.

- To cancel the requirements on certification and hygienic registration of the goods in the markets on the goods having appropriate documents on certification and hygienic registration of the country of the manufacturer (supplier)

- To reconsider an unreasonably - big list of the goods which are a subject to obligatory certification and hygienic registration at the markets.

- To unify the legislation in the field of certification and hygienic registration with the legislation of the Republic of Poland.

2) On the fixed rates of the tax:

To reduce the fixed rates of the tax twice

3) On repayment of working (rented) places

To decrease rent on places on 30 %

To make up a contract with each businessman to rent these places

The standard contract should be developed at participation of the trade union of the businessmen and appropriate services of executive committees.

- The payment for places in the markets where one of the founders are the bodies of the state authority and management should be accepted only through banks and the incomes should be directed into the municipal budget (passing any commercial structures)

The repayment for places should be predicted, is "connected" with MW or a course of dollar established by the National Bank of RB and it should be specified in the contract.

- Not to rise a rent on places during 3 months.

4) On termination of bribery at the markets:

- To stop mass extortion of bribes in the market by different law-enforcement and inspecting organs.

- To stop gangster practice of gratuitous exception of the goods and property by different inspectors on formal attributes.

5) On simplification of book - keeping and reporting

- To unify the legislation in the field of small business with the legislation of the Republic of Poland and Turkey.

6) On the trade by the foreign citizens.

- To create equal conditions of trade, account and payment of the taxes for the citizens of the Republic of Belarus and foreign citizens.

To strengthen the control of the trade in the goods by the foreign citizens. Not to suppose the sale of goods by the foreign citizens who break the current legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

7) On the permitting system to realise assemblies

- To not suppose in the further delays and prohibition of assemblies in enclosed locations to organisations and citizens.

To enable to carry out an assembly on certification till 1.05.99.

24.04.99 In Minsk the next congress of Free Trade union Belorussky was held. Gennady Bykov was elected as the chairman of the republican trade union.

How it was

The next provocation against the Free Trade union Byelorussky

In Grodno it is already a good tradition to prohibit to the Free trade union Byelorussky to carry out the assemblies according to the Charter.

23.04.99 the employees of the Municipal executive committee together with the employees of DDIA, AIA and OMON not only prohibited again people to spend the meeting but they also organised the well balanced provocation with the purpose of temporal elimination of the chairman of FTUB of the businessmen of Grodno.

23.04.99 v. A. Lavtsel, the vice-chairmanз of the municipal executive committee agreed to accept a group of the citizens (according to the law of RB «About calls of the citizens» at 16.00. Near the door of the municipal executive committee they (citizens) at assigned time were met by OMON, the employees of AIA and DDIA and one more person who refused to be call himself. All citizens were not allowed to come in inside. Provocateurs in the uniform of the employees of militia began to provoke the queue (from the citizens into the  executive committee). When the citizens were indignant by these actions of the militiamen, people who was there were called the crowd and unauthorised meeting. On this basis V. Levonevsky, the chairman of the trade union was arrested. V. Levonevsky against his will was driven into the DIA of Leninsky district, where the report was drawn up to him.

On Monday 26.04.99 the court was held. All witnesses spoke well for Levonevsky except for two witnesses - militiamen. And though the employees of militia testified inconsistenly the court has taken their testimonies as a basis and passed a resolution to arrest Levonevsky for 13 day. Why for 13 days? There are several reasons:

- 10.05.99 in Grodno the members of the parliament of Russia came to sign the union contracts. We had given the request on the actions of the protest on the 8^th-,9^th- and 10^th- of May. Well, what is an action if the organiser is in prison.

- From 1.05.99 businessmen begin the strike, from prison it will be difficult to Valery Levonevsky to co-ordinate the actions of the colleagues of the businessmen.

- May 16, the election of the President of the Republic of Belarus. Valery Levonevsky is the co-ordinator of a staff of Mikhail Chigir, a candidate in the presidents, in Grodno and Grodno region.

- On the immediate control of Valery Levonevsky the interrogation of the population of city about the trust to the authorities of city and the president and also the inspection of the messages to falsify the election in the local councils with introducing of materials in OBSE was initiated.

From the point of view of common sense and the law the process was won by Levonevsky. But the verdict of court had been born not by a judge but customers of provocation long before drawing up of the protocol, well, the judge is also man. And if he does not play by these rules, he will be dismissed or put into prison.

The authorities are afraid of the citizens: the citizens came to the officials to get explanations and they are thrown in prison. Democracy on Belorussian. If we keep silent they will soon begin to shoot! And there are a lot o them who may shoot! The face of a lieutenant - colonel of militia was very much remembered at conversation with the citizens who have come to the executive committee, it was brutally neglectful. Such as he) will shoot not thinking. Thy will shoot at us, at our children to calm officials - parasites, great chatter-boxes and deceivers who have unrestricted authority.

Meetings. The first results of questioner.

Many of you have get the questionnaire. More than 3.000 men were interrogated. We publish preliminary results of the questioner:

Do You insist on termination of payment of the taxes with 1.05.99- yes 97, 6 %

Do You insist on termination of payment

for your places at the market with 1.05.99- yes 92, 2 %

Do You require a resignation of the chairman

of the municipal executive committee - yes 99, 4 %

Do You trust A. Lukashenko - no 97,1 %

Do You trust v. Levonevsky – yes 89,7 %

Do You require to take M. Chigir out custody - yes 99,3 %

Do You participate in the election to local councils 4.04.99 - no 87 %

Do you trust to elective commissions formed by the officials of the executive committees - 98,8 %

Comment:

3) As it is clear from the interrogation practically all businessmen have stood for the realisation of the action of the protest, nobody trusts either Lukashenko or the executive committee. Practically everyone demands to take Mikhail Chigir out custody. The citizens do not trust elective commissions at the executive committees. And in the election to local hardly more than 10 % of the interrogated participated. According to the official statistics in the election in Grodno region 70% came to vote. There is a question to think about. The people have a reason not to trust to the elective commissions.

On a photo: Ex - minister of MIA of RB and the Grodno businessmen could agree!...

Question – answer

Question: I have already paid the tax and the action of the protest began what shall I do if I do not trade?

Answer: It is necessary to write application addressed to the chief of the inspection with the request to return money or to enlist them on the account of the future taxes. You can specify the reason on which you ask to return money for example: holidays, family circumstances etc.

Question: I have already paid for the place and I am not going to trade what shall I do?

Answer: it is necessary to write application addressed to the chief of the market. In the application you should specify the reason on which you ask to return money (or enlist these sums as a payment for rent of the next month) - holidays etc.

Question: Whether It is necessary to come each day on the market at 9.00?

Answer: I think what you should, it will be possible to exchange news. You can, as buyers, to check up the certificates and other documents on trade at the colleagues - businessmen. Then we shall accept the decision what we shall do with those who break the rules of trade. Necessarily record surnames of the breakers, attract the employees of militia to the inspections.

Question: Is it possible to take Valery Levonevsky out custody pre-schedully?

Answer: It is possible if you are persistent, the public prosecutor or the higher court can cancel the illegal decision of the court of Leninsky district of Grodno.

Dear businessmen. As you have been convinced, the municipal executive committee creates us obstacles in the realisation of seminars on certification. Therefore we are forced to carry out seminars by small groups of 20-40 man. It is necessary to you to write: Surname, Name, Patronymic, Address (sending of the invitation), Place of work, Education, Telephone Preferable time and day of week to participate in a seminar. This information should be transmitted to the assistants of the treasurer.