BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/01/2008

Belarusian Opposition Leader Urges Striking Businessmen "to Display Solidarity"

BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union

Belarusian opposition leader Alyaksandr Milinkevich has issued an address to small businessmen ahead of their rally scheduled for 10 January in Minsk, the Belarusian news agency Belapan reported on 9 January.

Belarusian small business owners have been on a two-week strike since 1 January in protest against the presidential decree that bans "individual entrepreneurs" from employing people other than family members.

In his address, Milinkevich urged small businessmen "not to believe promises" and "paltry remissions" by the authorities. The opposition leader also called on small businessmen "to display solidarity with each other and all pro-democracy movements in Belarus", Belapan said.

Source:

http://www.blackenterprise.com/yb/ybopen.asp?section=ybsb&story_id=113479661&ID=blackenterprise