Iryna Kazulina, the wife of opposition politician Alaksandar Kazulin, was buried in the cemetery in the village of Tarasava near Minsk on Wednesday afternoon, BelaPAN said.

Mrs. Kazulina died on February 23 at the age of 48 after a 10-year battle with breast cancer.

The family wanted the deceased to be buried in Minsk’s Uschodnija (Maskouskiya) cemetery, which is reserved for prominent figures, but no permission was given. An appeal to the head of state, Alaksandar Lukashenka, proved to be to no avail.

Some 300 people attended the burial ceremony, including prominent opposition figures Stanislau Shushkievich, Alaksandar Milinkievich, Siarhiej Kalakin and Jury Chadyka, as well as US Ambassador Karen Stewart.

Alaksandar Kazulin, rector of Belarusian State University between 1996 and 2003 who was a candidate in Belarus’ 2006 presidential election, was released from prison for three days on Monday night to attend the funeral of his wife. Arrested in March 2006, he was given a 5 ½-year prison sentence on charges of hooliganism and the organization of group actions disturbing the public peace.

The work of the forum is divided into three sections: “State and political aspects of the Belarusian independence”, “Cultural and language guarantees of Belarusian national identity”, “Economic base and perspectives of the Belarusian independence state”. Both famous experts – political scientists, philosophers, lawyers, linguists, arts critics, economists – and amateurs. Those who organize the forum explain that it will take place on the web as only internet gives the possibility for public discussion today. Every online user can debate with the known experts or express their thoughts in any section. The best articles will be presented at the closing part of the forum and printed.

At the closing part a meeting and discussion of representatives of the Belarusian science,culture, and education will take place. The forum will state a new conception of the Belarusian stateness and independence.

www.pbnf.org

Dear Anatoliy,
I enjoyed welcoming you to the Oval Office recently, and I appreciated our discussions about the struggle for freedom and justice in Belarus. We have followed the events in your country since our meeting, and I admire the courage of you and your colleagues. We must remember that freedom is a gift of the Almighty to every human being, and I believe that the people of Belarus will one day be free.
Thank you for the “for freedom” bracelet.
Best wishes,
Sincerely,
George W. Bush

http://www.ucpb.org/?lang=eng

A group of experts worked out a draft of the message to the Belarusian people. The United Democratic Forces will introduce this document in the elections to the House of Representatives.

The dominating idea of the message is an appeal to the disappointed part of society.

The political scientist VacЕ‚aЗ” AreЕЎka who is head of the group says that they have questioned different groups of society and found out that there are a lot of disappointed people in the country. He explains that these people do not have political convictions, and their feeling of disappointment is provoked by rise in prices and the abolition of social safeguards. More and more people realize that they are not satisfied with the current authority which does not deliver its promises and does not provide stability.

The message is a document which parliamentary candidates from the democratic opposition will distribute among the electors. Belarusian citizens will find in it answers to the questions that worry them: why social safeguards are cancelled, why the prices for food skyrocket, why the neighbouring nations live far better than Belarusians. The democratic forces hope that this message will turn a lot of Belarusians to vote for democratic candidates.

www.svaboda.org