BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/12/2007

Belarusian Vendors Reject Talks Until Release Of Jailed Activists

Aleh Shabetnik, an associate of the December 10 protest organizers, told Belapan on December 11 that any talks with the authorities are out of the question unless the imprisoned activists are released. Lawmaker Anatol Paulovich, chairman of the Committee on Industry, Fuel and Energy Complex, Transportation, Communications, and Enterprise in the Belarusian legislature, met on December 10 with protesters and pledged that government officials would meet with small-business representatives on December 19 to discuss their demands. Paulovich said that neither the Belarusian legislature nor the cabinet has the authority to abolish the presidential decree that, starting on January 1, bars small-business owners from hiring employees other than three family members. "The edict has been signed, it is in effect," Paulovich added. AM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/12/3-cee/cee-121207.asp

Google