Alyaksand Lukashenka was still in Switzerland on Monday, according to Pavel Lyohki, head of the presidential press office.
“The president has not yet returned and continues to stay in Switzerland,” Mr. Lyohki told BelaPAN.
The Belarusian leader left for Switzerland on February 3 for what Belarusian government sources called a working visit.
During the visit, which will last a few days and be combined with “short-term recreation,” the head of state will meet with representatives of Swiss business and political circles, the presidential press office said last week.
On February 4, Mr. Lyohki told BelaPAN that the head of state might return to Minsk “any day.” He also promised that the presidential press office would report the results of the visit.
According to Swiss sources, the purpose of Mr. Lukashenka’s visit is to have a vacation at an Alpine ski resort.
In February and March last year, Mr. Lukashenka made similar working visits to Serbia, Armenia and Russia. In particular, he spent six days at Serbia’s Mount Kopaonik ski resort and a few days at Armenia’s Tsakhkadzor ski resort. In late March, he practiced alpine skiing at the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort near Sochi in Russia`s province of Krasnodar Krai, where he was joined by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Belarus` political parties have nominated a total of 468 representatives for membership in district election commissions for the coming local elections scheduled to be held in the country in the latter half of April, Mikalay Lazavik, secretary of the central election commission, told BelaPAN on Monday.
As many as 180 nominees represent pro-democratic parties, with 104 the “Spravedlivy Mir” (Just World) Belarusian Party of the Left, 43 the United Civic Party, 22 the Belarusian Popular Front, 10 the Hramada Belarusian Social Democratic Party and one the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada.
The Communist Party of Belarus nominated 200 people, the Belarusian Agrarian Party 23, the Liberal Democratic Party 22, the Social Democratic Party of People`s Concord 14, the Republican Party of Labor and Justice 12, the Belarusian Patriotic Party seven, the Belarusian Party of Greens six and the Belarusian Social and Sports Party four.
A total of 5,499 people were nominated for membership in the 367 district election commissions. Of them, 2,233 were put forward by pro-government non-governmental organizations, including 332 by Belaya Rus, 338 by the Belarusian National Youth Union, 243 by the Belarusian Women`s Union, 252 by the Belarusian Public Association of War Veterans and 851 by the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus.
As many as 1,888 nominees were proposed through the collection of voter signatures and 910 by "workers` collectives."
Bilateral relations with Belarus can get a fresh impetus following Ukraine’s presidential election irrespective of whether Viktor Yanukovych or Yulia Tymoshenko will win it, Mikhailo Pohrebinski, director of the Kyiv Center for Political Studies and Conflictology, said in an interview with BelaPAN.
“In fact, the framework within which a president will work doesn`t feature Belarus,” the political expert said. “There are only Russia and Europe there. Problems in Belarus’ relations with Europe and Russia will remain. Perhaps, Ukraine will act as a partner rather than a mediator to make the position of Belarus more comfortable in the Belarus-Ukraine-Europe-Russia polygon. In this regard, it will be easier for Europe to talk with Tymoshenko rather than Yanukovych about the Belarus issue.”
“Belarusian-Ukraine projects, including transit projects, will remain topical, even if Russia dislikes them very much,” he noted.
As for the Belarusian roots of Mr. Yanukovych whose remote relatives come from Belarus, Mr. Pohrebinski said that they would not play a prominent role in the shaping of his policy regarding Minsk. “He is not that much nationalistically oriented,” the expert explained.
In any case, the bilateral relations may become closer only in the context of Ukraine’s ties with the European Union and Russia, he added.
A Chinese loan may be used to fund the construction of a high-speed railway line between Minsk and Homyel, Alyaksandr Yakabson, head of the Homyel Regional Executive Committee, said at a news conference on Friday.
Trains that will run on the line will not be capable of a speed of 300 kilometers per hour, Mr. Yakabson said.
Alyaksandr Lukashenka ordered the management of Belarusian Railways to construct a line for rail services with an average speed of 160 kilometers per hour, he said.
According to Mr. Yakabson, China is ready to lend $5.7 billion for the project on condition that Belarus buys 50 percent of necessary equipment and technologies from China.
“The proposal is interesting for us, because this industry is well advanced in China. They build electric and diesel engine trains,” he noted.
Mr. Yakabson also commented on the Belarusian leader’s plan to develop Palesse, the area along the River Prypyats in southern Belarus. As part of the plan, a railway line is projected to be built between Stolin and Mazyr where there are deposits of natural resources.
“The president ordered the cabinet to do project planning,” Mr. Yakabson said. “There is a big granite deposit in Hlushkavichy, with its reserves estimated to last up to 300 years. Granite tiles could be made there. There are natural resources such as chalk and clay at Palesse. This is a serious project and it will be implemented.” //BelaPAN
The nomination process for membership of district election commissions for the April 25 local elections came to an end on Friday evening.
The right to nominate belongs to political parties, non-governmental organizations, “workers’ collectives,” and to citizens through the collection of voter signatures.
The district elections commissions are to be formed at joint meetings of the leaderships of the regional soviets and the regional executive committees, and of the Minsk City Soviet and the Minsk City Executive Committee. This should be done no later than February 8.
A total of 367 district commissions are to be formed for the elections for the regional soviets and the Minsk City Soviet. In particular, 58 commissions are to be formed in the Mahilyow region, 60 in each of the other five regions and nine in the city of Minsk. //BelaPAN
8 February 2010
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