The talks between the Be-lamsian authorities and the 13th Parliament

The talks between the Be-lamsian authorities and the 13th Parliament, mediated by representatives of European organisations will start on 15 July 1997. This statement was made at a press conference last Tuesday by the leader of the European Union delegation, member of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, Matthew Russell.

The apparently difficult decision to start negotiations was made after intensive three day consultations behind closed doors between representatives of the President of Belarus, members of the 13th Parliament, which was dissolved by the President after the adoption of a new Constitution in a referendum last November, and representatives of European organisations, namely, the European Union, Council of Europe and Venetian Commission.

,   Mr Russell told journalists that he was amazed at the degree of common sense and genuine desire to reach a compromise which was demonstrated during the consultations by both the Presidential and Parliamentary sides.

Mr Russell stated with apparent satisfaction that the sides had discussed the procedure for the coming talks and reached agreements on nearly all issues.

According to Mr Russell, there is only one problem that remains unresolved and he believes it^wIITbe settled before the start of the talks. "Another half hour of consultations, and we would have reached a 100% agreement on all issues," said Mr Russell. _,»;However, he avoided giving any details as to the nature of the agreement and the disagreements that still remain, stating that the sides had decided not to release any details on the procedure of the talks.

However, some information on the outcomes of the consultations and details of the com

ing talks has been released. In particular, the sides have agreed that all decisions will be passed by full consensus.

This means that any decision can be passed only if it is supported unanimously by all participants of the negotiations.

The number and list of participants was agreed upon after hours of long and tiring debates. Altogether, there will be 13 participants of whom four will represent the Presidential side, six for the 13th parliament and three will act as mediators representing the European organisations.

The President will be represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Antonovich, Deputy Foreign Minister, Nina Mazai, Deputy head of the Presidential Administration, Ivan Pashkevich and his colleague Alexander Abramovich.

They will be opposed by representatives of all five factions of the 13th Parliament. The liberal faction will be represented by Vice Speaker, Guennady Karpenko, Social Democrats by Piotr Kravchen-ko and Mecheslav Gryb, Communists by Vassily Novikov and Agrarians by Mecheslav Giruts.

The status of another former Vice Speaker of the 13th Parliament, Yuri Malu-mov, who recognised the new Constitution and was appointed member of the new presidential Parliament, is unclear. The sides have yet to clarify whether Malumov will enter negotiations as a representative of the President or of the 13th Parliament.

According to Mr Russell, the main objective of the negotiations will be to arrange the constitutional system of Belarus and to restore the balance of power. Members of the European delegation referred to the April address of President Lukashenko to the European Union in which he requested assistance in updating the 1994 constitution.

According to Mr Russell, the results of the negotiations will be communicated by the three party working group to the public and offered for a nationwide discussion. However, the

the Front's deputy leaders, Levon Borshchevsky and Yujri Khodyko, as well as olhcr mem-bers of the party's leadership;

In his speech, Zenon Pozniak repeated his earlier statements blaming Russian secret services for all anti-democratic and anti-Bclarusian activities of the ruling authorities in Belarus whom he described as Moscow's puppets. He accused the present leadership of Belarus of trying to incorporate the country into Russia and called for the creation of a united opposition to the "occupation regime".