BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

01/06/2005

Belarus leader restricts use of "Belarussian"

MINSK, June 1 (Reuters) President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus has banned the public display of the terms ''Belarussian'' and ''national'' without authorisation, the government said today.

The decree appeared aimed against media organisations using the terms in their titles. The country's most authoritative voice critical of the president is the Belarusskaya Delovaya Gazeta (Belarussian Business Newspaper).

Organisations using the terms were given three months to change their name and seek new registration.

''The activity of organisations and media which fail to proceed with reregistration is illegal and banned,'' Justice Minister Viktor Golovanov told a news conference.

Lukashenko is accused in the West of stifling opponents and the media and using electoral fraud to remain in office.

Golovanov said the regulation did not apply to political parties, public organisations, trade unions and banks.

''This decree is intended to ensure that words underscoring our country's sovereignty are used only by those people who deserve it,'' Golovanov said.

Western countries have refused to recognise the outcome of a referendum last October which enabled Lukashenko to change the constitution and run for a third term next year.

Two opposition figures were sentenced to three years' compulsory labour yesterday on public order charges for staging a protest after the referendum.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a continentwide rights watchdog, said today the sentence was ''disproportionate and cannot be justified''.

Source:

http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG4_sub.asp?newscode=105736&catcode=ENG4&subcatcode=