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Week Ending December 8, 2006
H.R.5948 To reauthorize the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004.
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and country data, Belarus
The 2004 Act that established, in Congress’ eye, spending for the democratic future of Belarus is reauthorized by this bill. Belarus know as the home of Chernobyl, the nuclear power plant that melted down and left behind decades of poisoned soil and human victims, was once a member of the Soviet Federation until the 1980’s.
The money is spent but the results are questionable if one reads that the US is sanctioning the country until it makes progress by Congressional standards in meeting specified conditions respecting release of political prisoners, account for the disappearances of opposition leaders and journalists, ceases political harassment, prosecutes senior government leaders for embezzlement of state assets and fraudulent elections and then holds a free and parliamentary election with independent supervision.
All of that having been put on the table the bill notes that the US supports the aspirations of the Belarus people for democracy and the rule of law and their right to preserve the country’s independence and grow democracy movements. A presidential election in March 2006 did not pass Congressional muster and the bill supports the right to call for a new election.
The US will support non-government organizations (NGO) such as the Red Cross and numerous other organizations with a similar agenda of promoting freedom and a free market in the country. ($20 million)
Radio and TV broadcasts will pump out democratic and western hemisphere values and strategies. ($7.5 million)
To avoid sanctions Belarus must release political and religious prisoners; withdraw politically motivated charges against journalists and activists; account for missing opposition leaders including Victor Gonchar, Anatoly Krasovsky, Yuri Kakharenka and Dmitry Zavadsky’ cease harassment and repression of the media, trade unions and NGOs, religious groups and youth groups; prosecute senior leadership for fraud and embezzlement, hold free and fair and transparent presidential elections consistent with international standards.
Until the demands are met entry to the US will be denied to anyone holding a senior position in the Belarus government, is a family member or closely linked to an inadmissible person; deals with senior leadership and who benefits from electoral fraud, human rights abuses or corruption and who undermines democratic institutions. No loans, credit guarantee, insurance, financing or similar assistance may be extended by any US agency except with the provision of humanitarian goods and agricultural and medical products. No trade development funds will be available.
Assets would be blocked by the President including to commercial and industrial or public utility undertakings. Also blocked can be payments or transfers of property or any property of economic value by any US person to the Government of Belarus. No export or re-export of a Belarus-owned entity and not in a US air carrier.
Sanctions can be waived if the President determines that would be in the interest of national security.
Sponsor: Rep. Christopher H Smith (R-NJ-4th)
Vote: Passed House by 397 to 2 December 7, 2006 (RC 537). Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent December 7, 2006
Cost to the taxpayers: $27.5 million per year through 2008.
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MORE INFORMATION
`Congress makes the following findings:
`(1) The Government of the Republic of Belarus has engaged in a pattern of clear, gross, and uncorrected violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
`(2) The Government of Belarus has engaged in a pattern of clear, gross, and uncorrected violations of basic principles of democratic governance, including through a series of fundamentally flawed presidential and parliamentary elections undermining the legitimacy of executive and legislative authority in that country.
`(3) The most recent presidential elections in Belarus held on March 19, 2006, failed to meet the commitments of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for democratic elections and the arbitrary use of state power and widespread detentions show a disregard for the basic rights of freedom of assembly, association, and expression, and raise doubts regarding the willingness of authorities in Belarus to tolerate political competition.
`(4) The regime of Aleksandr Lukashenka has maintained power in Belarus by orchestrating an illegal and unconstitutional referendum that enabled him to impose a new constitution, abolish the duly-elected parliament, the 13th Supreme Soviet, install a largely powerless National Assembly, extend his term of office, and remove applicable term limits.
`(5) The Government of Belarus has failed to make a credible effort to solve the cases of disappeared opposition figures Yuri Zakharenka, Viktor Gonchar, and Anatoly Krasovsky in 1999 and journalist Dmitry Zavadsky in 2000, even though credible allegations and evidence exist linking top officials of the Lukashenka regime with these disappearances.
`(6) Political opposition figures Mikhail Marynich, Mikalay Statkevych, Pavel Sevyarinets, Andrei Klimau, Valery Levaneusky, and Siarhei Skrebets have been imprisoned or served `corrective labor' sentences because of their political activity.
`(7) Hundreds of pro-democratic political activists have been subjected to frequent harassment and jailings, especially during, and in the aftermath of the fatally flawed March 19, 2006, presidential elections in Belarus.
`(8) The Government of Belarus has attempted to maintain a monopoly over the country's information space, targeting independent media for systematic reprisals and elimination, while suppressing the right to freedom of speech and expression of those dissenting from the regime.
`(9) The Belarusian authorities have perpetuated a climate of fear in Belarus by mounting a systematic crackdown on civil society through the harassment, repression, and closure of nongovernmental organizations and independent trade unions.
`(10) The Lukashenka regime has increasingly subjected leaders and members of minority and unregistered religious communities to harassment, including the imposition of heavy fines, denying permission to meet for religious services, prosecutions, and jail terms for activities in the practice of their faith.
`(11) The Belarusian authorities have further attempted to silence dissent through retribution against human rights and pro-democracy activists through threats, firings, expulsions, beatings and other forms of intimidation.'.
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