Monday, February 13, 2012

Belarus

Eight Candidates To Seek Belarusian Presidency

Opposition presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich in October (epa)

24 December 2005 -- Eight men have submitted documents in a bid to become candidates in Belarus's presidential election on 19 March.

TEXT SIZE - +

December 24, 2005

Among those submitting papers to electoral authorities for yesterday's deadline was independent Alyaksandr Milinkevich, who was chosen in October to be the sole candidate of united opposition forces.

Other hopefuls who submitted papers include Valeriy Frolov, Alyaksandr Kozulin, Alyaksandr Voytovich, and Sergei Skrebets.

Incumbent President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who is seeking another term, and two other hopefuls -- Zenon Poznyak and Sergei Gaidukevich -- submitted their applications on 22 December.

Electoral authorities are expected to announce on 27 December which hopefuls have been registered. Those who get registered will then need to gather 100,000 voter signatures to be officially added to the ballot.

(ITAR-TASS/Reuters)

Video Roundtable On Belarus/Ukraine

On December 8, 2005, RFE/RL and the Policy Association for an Open Society (PASOS) jointly conducted a roundtable discussion on issues relating to Belarus's post-Soviet transition. To view video of the roundtable, click here.

Can Belarus's Opposition Unite To Challenge Lukashenka?

Belarus: The Slow-Boiling Dictatorship

'Police Detain Stuffed Animals' In Minsk Toy Protest

Belarusian youth activists say police have "detained" some stuffed animals used in an antigovernment protest in Minsk, in an echo of similar recent protests in Russia. More

There are frequent reports in the Bulgarian and Ukrainian media about Romanian “pirates” robbing passing transport ships on the Danube. (file photo)

Reports Of 'Pirates Of The Danube' Get The Old Heave-Ho

An attack last month on a Ukrainian barge on the Romanian sector of the Danube River has caused a diplomatic tussle between Bucharest and Kyiv, sparking media reports of possible acts of piracy on Europe's second-largest river. But do “Danube pirates” actually exist? More

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (center) drinking beer with soccer fans in St. Petersburg on January 19.

Candidate Putin Offers Russian Soccer Fans Free Flights To Euro 2012

Russian soccer fans concerned about making it to Kyiv for the Euro 2012 championships need worry no longer. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced the country's leading airlines will provide free transport to and from at least some of the Russian team's matches. More